


The Templar's Midnight

by ShadowArtemis4456



Series: Aurora’s Fate [3]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Mage-Templar War, Mages vs. Templars, Red Lyrium, Red Templars
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-27
Updated: 2018-07-17
Packaged: 2019-05-28 20:09:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 32,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15056831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowArtemis4456/pseuds/ShadowArtemis4456
Summary: Things have gone as awry for poor Aura as they could get. First, the man she original loved died during the Blight, then Kirkwall went too literal hell, and now Aura is the "Herald of Andraste" slash future Inquisitor. Oh was it mention that she is no longer a Cystalglade? No? Well, now it is. Aura is married to none other than Cullen Rutherford, the Commander of the Inquisition's forces and now ex-Templar, which makes her: Aurora Rutherford. What is even worse? Aura isn't even sure if their marriage will last. Why? Because not only do they rarely see each other, but their relationship is strained due in part to their separate duties. Aura just wants to go home and Cullen longs for the woman he fell in love with. But then again, where is home when you have a nasty looking green mark on your left hand and a great amount of sorrow piercing your heart as you feel love slipping away into nothingness?





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ladies and gentlemen, I present to your enjoyment: The Templar's Midnight. The third and final installment of the Aurora's Fate series. Enjoy!

Pain flared in the woman's hand as she awoke with a yelp; yanking the offending limb close to her body with her other hand wrapped around the wrist, the woman found herself on her knees, leaning a bit forward as she tried to claim the sudden flare-up down. “Aurora!” She heard the ever familiar, yet soothing voice of the man who she loved as she felt his hands land on either shoulder. “Aura! It's okay! Listen to my voice!” But she could barely hear him as she focused on calming whatever sickly green mark was upon her hand. “Aura!” Realizing he was losing this particular battle he stood threw on a shirt and called out for a nearby scout to fetch the “Expert” on the “mark” and returned swiftly to her side. When the “Expert” arrived, the man who was close to her was forced to move away as the other spoke. 

“Aurora, listen to me. You need to breathe! The mark will calm down soon, but you need to breathe.”

The woman, revealed to be Aurora or as she preferred to be called, Aura, fought to regain control of her own body and was soon breathing as the “Expert” worked magic in and around the hand and mark, but being able to regain that control was not without the price of being left freezing cold and shivering as the mark had stolen what little body heat she had built up as she slept. The woman thanked the “Expert” revealing his name to be Solas, and he left as the other man moved forward to pull her into a hug. “I can’t do this...” she began to sob despite already being damn near frozen. “I can’t do this, Cullen... I just can’t...” 

“Shh,” he tried to calm her as he lifted her up and placed her back down on the bed they shared. Once he was laying down again, he pulled her close to him and she cuddled as close as physically possible. He could feel how cold she was and it pained him, “It will be alright, Love. I will be here no matter what, we will make it through this together, I promise.” He said as his eyes looked down to met Blue eyes which now had little flecks of green in them. _A side effect of the mark and the breach?_ He wondered as she lowered her gaze to bury her face in his shirt. He hugged her close and for once in his life debated on whether or not to curse the Maker or the bad luck that Aura seemed to be suffering from. He closed his eyes, making sure to rub her back and ease her into sleep before finally allowing himself to sleep, though it was rather lightly as she was prone to sudden night terrors due to whatever had happened to her before they had found her in the ruins that lay only a few minutes walk from their “little house”. _I’ll curse her “shitty” luck as she would call it._ As he dropped off into sleep he remembered what had led up to this point, at least from his perspective.

 _Cullen stood firm with his men as they battled back this horde of demonic forces. Shortly after their arrival to Haven, the area where the Temple Of Andraste had once resided, exploded. Not in that minor, boom sounding explosion but in the way that roared and shook the valley and the very mountains themselves exploded. He had felt his heart freeze as he remembered that the Temple was where the Conclave, the meeting between Mages and Templars with the Divine acting as a mediator, was being held and just as swiftly he remembered that his beloved wife was also there at the request of the Divine and suddenly it hit him._ She had been at the Conclave. _She had been at the location of the heart of the explosion. And his mind could only come to one conclusion:_ she had died _._

_He wasn’t sure how much time had passed or how many days or nights, nor could he recall if he had eaten yet, when a scout came racing up to him, out of breath and looking ready to collapse at a moments notice. “Commander! The prisoner has awoken!” Before he could ask why he should be bothered to care, the scout spoke again. “Sister Leliana sent me to tell you that the prisoner is actually your wife.” Cullen didn’t waste a breath after thanking the scout for the report. As soon as he had thanked and dismissed the scout, Cullen took off like a madman, not caring who saw him as he ran. All he could think of was the fact that the woman they had found at the ruins after she had collapsed upon exiting a rift that, was his wife. Aura had survived._

_He all but skidded to a halt the moment he saw two women with the love of his life between them. Even from where he stood he could see that she was shivering uncontrollably and just knew that she was more than likely freezing. Cullen couldn’t find his voice for several moments as he studied her too think form, but just as he went to speak he heard and saw her cry out in pain as she gripped her left wrist in pain as a sickly green light flared up from her palm forcing her to hit the ground. “Aurora!” He suddenly roared out as he rushed to her side._

_“Commander!” One of the standing women, this one wearing armor, called out to him, but he ignored her and knelt down next to his wife._

_“Aura, fight to control it!” He begged her as he watched her regain some semblance of control._

_“Cul-Cullen?” She asked as her shivers became worse. She barely opened her eyes when he lifted her chin up, forcing her blue and now green flecked eyes, though the flakes in her eyes were so small he knew that the only way to see them would be to be close her, to meet his “golden” gaze. He studied her pain filled gaze with sorrow and rage entered veins._

_“What happened?” He asked quietly in a rather forced calm, a calm she was very familiar with._

_“I don’t remember, the last thing I remember is waiting for the Divine to speak with me, then nothing until I woke up being treated like a prisoner,” she told him just as quietly as he felt rage beginning to slowly boil his blood._

_“Commander, you need to get back to the troops, we can deal with this woman.” But still, Cullen would not listen._

_“Cassandra.” A familiar accented voice spoke up as Aura struggled to her feet, but she didn’t have to struggle much as Cullen was able to help her stand and allowed her to rest her weight against him for several moments, the two speaking softly as he let her lean on him._

_“Leliana?” The woman in armor asked as the other frowned and spoke again._

_“This woman is the Commander’s wife. This woman is Aurora Rutherford.” Leliana spoke as Aura looked her way to watch the red-head as she spoke to the woman in armor, while Cullen looked to the one that could be presumed to be Cassandra. Cassandra studied the way Cullen was treating Aura and felt her eyes widen a bit._

_“But she was present when Most Holy died!”_

_“My wife would never kill the Divine!” Cullen snapped as Cassandra took a step back, surprised at this sudden outburst from the Commander._

_Leliana spoke up then as she folded her arms behind her back, “The Commander is correct. Aura would have no reason to even think of harming Divine Justinia. Aura is more likely to save a person than to kill them.” Leliana watched as Aura leaned on Cullen for a bit longer. She watched as the two exchanged a few words before Aura pushed herself away from him and wobbled a bit on unsteady legs with him right there just in case she should fall. Leliana knew that if these were normal circumstances, Aura would most like have called him out on his "hovering" but these were not normal circumstances so she did not. Soon enough Cassandra lead Aura away and Cullen looked to Leliana. "I know, I am worried for her as well," Leliana spoke before he could voice his worry for the woman who he loved._

Now several days later since then, Cullen stood watching the troops train and was so focused on the task that he _almost_ missed the sound of Aura walking up and she wasn't even trying to be loud or silent as she walked. "You there, there's a shield in your hand, block with it," Aura couldn't help the tiny smile on her face, "If this man were your enemy, you would be dead." She watched him turn and speak with the templar beside him, who nodded and saluted, then she watched as Cullen's eyes landed on her while his arms crossed. "We've received a number of new recruits," he started before looking away, "Some locals, others were pilgrims," then he shook his head before turning back to her, "none of them made the entrance, you did."

"Leliana did tell me that it was a quite dramatic one, and I wasn't even trying for dramatic."

"I'd hate to think about what would happen if you did," he smirked at the unamused look she gave him, They began walking and talked some more about what they could do and suddenly he realized he was starting to give a lecture. "I'm sorry..." he looked away as she smiled.

"Don't apologize for being in your element, Cullen," She told him as he looked to her. "I rather enjoy watching and listening to you being who you were meant to be," She informed him as she gave him an encouraging smile. He couldn't help but return the smile. Here standing before him was the woman who he loved with all his being, a woman who loved him not because of what he was but for who he was. Soon enough he had to return to his duties but couldn't help but watch as Aura went walking away, but he did let his eyes roam her body (which of course there was nothing wrong with that seeing as how they were married) but he was also checking her over. She was thinner than before all this had started, signaling to him that she really hadn't been eating much before the Conclave had started and he worried about it. He decided that he would need to speak with Leliana about it as well as Cassandra seeing as how the latter would be leaving with Aura anytime his wife went somewhere, at least for now that was as Cullen was sure that before this whole mess was over with that Aura would have a full group of friends to pick and choose to travel with.


	2. One

Aura sat on a bench in Haven when Cullen next saw her, he noticed that she was holding an ebony colored feather in her left and was rolling the calamus (the quill) in between her fore and middle fingers and her thumb absentmindedly while her mind wandered freely. She was also biting her lower lip in thought and he wondered what could be bothering her so, as to him it was never a good thing when she was biting her lower lip. To him, it meant that her figurative mental demons were most likely bothering her but before he could go speak with her, a voice spoke up and shook her from her thoughts. "Armor! There you are!"

"Really Varric?" She smiled as Cullen watched the shorter man, a dwarf insistent on wearing a mostly unbuttoned shirt that showed off his chest and chest hair, go walking up to her.

"It's better than calling you Herald," Varric smiled at her as she chuckled and shook her head. 

"Point taken," She lifted her head up and studied the dwarf. "I didn't get to say this before, but you have no idea how glad I am to know that you're here."

"What would you do without me?" He laughed as she mocked a sad look.

"Most likely cry myself to sleep, as I would dearly miss you and your infamous chest hair," that got both of them rolling and even Cullen had to force himself not to laugh at that. He knew Aura and Varric were close friends so there was no point in being jealous of the dwarf, but part of him did wonder why Varric called her "Armor" and made a mental note to ask her later.

"I wouldn't want that," He laughed as he went to sit next to her as she chuckled softly now. "You're being unusually broody, even more so then Broody himself could be."

"You still call Fenris, Broody?" She asked as he smiled. 

"Yes I do," he nodded as she shook her head. "Now whats on your mind, Armor?" He asked as she shook her head.

"Probably more then what can be considered healthy for me."

"Let me guess, Curly, Seeker, Nightengale and Ruffles aren't helping your thoughts any by demanding you pick who helps close that giant hole in the sky permanently?"

"By Seeker, Nightengale, and Ruffles I can assume correctly in saying you mean Cassandra, Leliana, and Josephine?" She looked to Varric who nodded. "Then the answer is no, they are not."

"What about Curly?"

"That one...is a bit harder..." Aura sighed as Cullen realized what she was thinking about so fiercely.

"What's wrong?" Varric asked as she dropped her head and looked at the feather. 

"We... we got into a heated argument last night," Varric said nothing but continued to listen. "He is adamant about wanting me to go for the Templars once we find out what is going on with both Templars and Mages, but it's not like I can just abandon the possible alliance with the Mages either." Aura wanted to pace but fought the feeling as she looked to the feather in her hand. "I've made a lot of friends who are mages, Garrett and Solona are just two of them..."

"And several Templar friends as well from what I understand."

"Yeah... So inwardly I am extremely torn. Cullen makes a good point about going to the Templars for aid, but while my head agrees with him, my heart is begging me to listen to Leliana and go for the Mages."

"And you don't know which one to follow," Varric commented as she nodded. "Have you tried sleeping on it?"

"Sleep doesn't help matters any as you know that I don't sleep very well, to begin with."

"Still having nightmares?" Varric had figured out early on, upon getting to know her in Kirkwall where they had first met, that Aura had nightmares left and right.

"They've only gotten worse since this whole load of bullshit began." Aura looked towards the breach and Cullen could swear she was glaring at it. "Cullen has been trying his best to help with them but there is only so much he can do, " She felt a sudden itch on her hand and looked towards the covered up mark. "and this forsaken thing really hasn't helped at all. If I'm not waking from a nightmare, the smallest of flare-ups will put me on my knees and...all... _all Cullen can do is watch me suffer because there is literally nothing he can do_." She spoke sadly as she lowered her gaze and dropped it to the ground. 

"Hey now, don't go all gloomy on me, you'll make me cry."

"Varric, in the time I have known you, I have never once seen you cry. Well, scratch that I have but that wasn't sadness as when I did see you cry it was the day I was married to Cullen." 

"Those weren't tears, they were my pride in you."

Aura looked at him then, "I call bullshit, but will let you think of it however you want." That had him laughing.

"Anyways, what do you think we should do? Do you want to go for the Mages or the Templars?" Varric put it back on the subject that was bothering her the most.

"I think we should find out what the fuck is going on before I make that decision properly, and the best way to do that is to go to Val Royeaux, though the thought of going into that nest of vipers is not a pleasant one." Aura frowned as Varric sighed. 

"If it makes you feel better I will be going with you," Aura looked to him. "I'm not letting one of my friends go into that mess alone."

"You surprise me Varric, but it does make me feel better that one of the best crossbow marksmen I know is coming with." She then giggled, "maybe the chest hair will help to convince them that we need help."

"We can only hope." Varric smiled as they stood and went their separate ways.

****

Aura frowned as they walked towards the gates to the city, it was oddly quiet. "The city still mourns," Cassandra spoke up though no question had been asked. 

"Just a guess, Seeker, but I think they all know who we are." Varric frowned as a woman gasped and turned away upon spotting Aura. 

"Your skills of observation never fail to impress me, Varric," Cassandra huffed as a chill went through Aura just before a female scout came running up.

"My Lady Herald." She knelt down before Aura as Cassandra spoke.

"You're one of Leliana's people. What have you found?" Cassandra questioned as another shiver ran along Aura's spine.

"The Chantry mothers await you," The scout turned to Aura with worry, "But... So do a great many Templars."

_Fuck._ Was the only word Aura thought at the mention of Templars.

"There are Templars here?" Cassandra looked towards Aura. 

"The people seem to think the Templars will protect them from... from the Inquisition." The scout was frightened and Aura knew fear when she saw it. "They are gathering on the other side of the market. I think that's where the Templars intend to meet you." 

"Only one thing to do, then," Cassandra said as the scout stood and lead them away from the gate. "They wish to protect the people? From us?"

_Something is very wrong here..._ Aura frowned, _there's a fishy smell in the air and it's not the fish,_ Aura could very well guess at why the Templars were there and it wasn't to protect the people. "We knew that some kind of reaction would come from the people and Chantry."

"But I didn't expect the Templars to make an appearance."

"The people may just be assuming what the Templars will do," the scout spoke up, "I've heard of no concrete plans."

"You think the Order's returned to the fold, maybe? To deal with us upstarts?" Varric questioned.

"I know Lord Seeker Lucius." Cassandra's voice sounded almost like a protective growl. "I can't imagine him coming to the Chantry's defense. Not after all that's occurred." Cassandra was frowning. Turning to the scout she spoke again, "Return to Haven, someone will need to inform them if we are...delayed." 

"As you say, my lady!" The scout vanished as Aura lead Cassandra, Solas (an elven apostate mage who was the "expert" on the mark on Aura's hand), and Varric forward to where the people were gathering, and the closer they got the more red flags went up in Aura's mind. _Something was wrong_. Soon enough the meeting took place and afterward found Aura not being sure what had just transpired but the fact that she had been either directly or indirectly insulted by the so-called "Lord Seeker" had led her blood to begin to boil, but she calmed herself enough to walk over to the mother who had been hit. The other two who had appeared heard her coming and moved away as if she was a skunk; Leaning down she removed a potion from her belt and helped the slightly injured woman to sit up. "Drink this, it will help to heal the pain." Aura told her as the woman studied her.

"Why help me?"

"If you mean "why help me when all I did was say things that I'm not sure if they are correct", then the answer is simple," Aura told her as she carefully drank the liquid. "I am no monster like everyone is trying to make me out to be, before this all began I was a normal woman, granted I was grieving the loss of my first love and the child I did not get to bring into the world due to miscarrying. But I want to help set things right." Aura took the bottle back and corked it before putting it back in her belt. Aura watched as the woman looked to her with sorrow, "Do not feel sorry for me, I have learned to love again and am married to a man who reminds me that I am loved every time we see each other or write."

"You are truly a kind soul, even in this most trying of times." The woman allowed Aura to help her stand. Aura only nodded and walked away with Cassandra, Solas, and Varric following after. No one said anything but Cassandra turned her gaze to Aura for only a moment and looked to her with a new respect while Solas looked to Aura with sorrow. Neither had known that Aura had suffered in her life like she had just told the mother but now they did.

As they walked out of the city, they were approached by an elven mage. "If I might have a moment of your time?" She asked as they all turned to her.

"Grand Enchanter Fiona?" Cassandra questioned as Aura wondered just who this mage was.

"Leader of the Mage Rebellion." Solas frowned, "Is it not dangerous for you to be here?"

"I heard of this gathering, and I wanted to see the fabled Herald of Andraste with my own eyes," She replied cooly as her bluish colored eyes fell on Aura. "if it's help with the Breach you seek, perhaps you should look into meeting with the mages instead of the Templars."

"That would have been my choice if you had been willing to speak with us first." Aura commented as the woman frowned.

"We are willing now. That's the important thing," She told Aura who felt a bit as if the woman was treating her as if she had been a misbehaving child. Varric was watching Aura carefully, her temper was strained and he knew that she would explode at any minute if pushed too far. "Consider this an invitation to Redcliffe: come meet with the mages. An alliance could help us both, after all. I hope to see you there. Au revoir, my Lady Herald." With that, Fiona walked away and Aura felt something akin to a migraine building up.

"Come," Cassandra frowned as she turned and began to walk away, "Let us return to Haven." Aura looked back in the direction Fiona had gone, frowned as she shook her head and turned to leave with her companions. 

_And shit's only getting started..._ She thought as she walked.


	3. Two

Aura closed her eyes and shook her head. After their return to Haven, she had been swarmed by her advisors and the headache which had been pounding had turned into a migraine. Now sitting down, she had some time to think over everything she had learned. _The Lord-Seeker sees the Inquisition as unworthy, the mages in Redcliffe wish to speak to me and could possibly be a trap, and what's worse then both of those combined is that the Grey Wardens have just poofed into thin air. What in the bloody blazes is this world coming too?_ She opened her eyes, leaned forward and began to write out a letter.

"Aura?" 

"Just a moment, my love," She told the person who came walking up as she rolled the letter up.

"Who are you writing to?" She looked to see Cullen watching her as she sighed.

"A friend."

Cullen frowned at that, he knew she had many friends but the last he knew of, they had all scattered to the winds and so there was no physical way possible for her to know where they were at without Leliana helping her find them. But then the way she said "a friend" was a bit cryptic and he wondered why she would say it like that. "Aura what's going on?" 

She sighed and looked to him, "A lot is on my mind, Cullen, and what I've just seen and witnessed personally in Val Royeaux? It's not helping matters any, and it certainly isn't helping the migraine I feel building up in the back of my head either." She told him as she stood and went over to the raven Leliana was letting her "borrow". Attaching the letter to the bird was rather easy and Aura soon took it to the window, released it, and attempted to watch as it became a dot on the nighttime horizon. _I pray my friend receives the letter soon._  

Cullen hadn't said anything but she knew he was watching her, she sighed and placed her hands on the window sill. Cullen could almost see the tension hanging over her like an ominous cloud and it worried him. Shaking his head, Cullen went to remove his cloak and armor, then went to her side. "Aura, come here," He told her as she felt his hands upon her shoulders. She stood straight and leaned back against his chest as she allowed herself to attempt to relax. She felt his hands slide down from her shoulders to wrap around her waist, and felt him kiss her neck. "It's been a while since I last held you like this." He sighed out as he nuzzled her neck. 

"Almost a year I think." 

"You always were bad at keeping track of time," He chuckled as she shot him a glare.

"Oh fuck off jackass," She huffed at him as he smiled. 

"I'd rather fuck you," He muttered huskily as he moved his hands to her sides and slide his fingers down along them. He felt her shiver, but it wasn't from the cold, it was caused by his voice. 

"Oh how tempting you are," She smiled as he continued to rub her side. She turned around, felt him trap her in his arms and smiled up at him before she ran the fingers of her left hand along the broad and muscular chest that she was still amazed at. 

"What are you thinking of?" He questioned as he held her.

"Just wondering how, in all of Thedas, I was lucky enough to snag you away from the marriage market before anyone else knew about you." She smiled as a chuckle rumbled deep within his chest. 

"It was because of who you are."

"Care to enlighten me?"

"When I first met you, I wondered about you and couldn't help but ask myself several questions. "Who is that woman?", "Why do I feel intoxicated by her presence?" and of course being how I was back then "Is she a desire demon?". I had so many questions about you, then I watched as Alistair stole away your attention, and saw him as the luckiest man on Thedas and stopped wondering about you until we spoke in Redcliffe while he was gone. As we would speak I began to see more of who you were," he told her as she looked up at him in wonder. He met her eyes and frowned, "I began to see that you were hiding a lot of yourself and several of your emotions behind a barrier and wanted to do something about it." He shook his head, "Then the battle with the Archdemon happened, and it really hit me when I saw you curled into a ball in your room the night after. Your entire life had been filled with nothing but pain and I wanted to do everything in my power to change that."

"But then you left for Kirkwall..." 

"Then I left for Kirkwall," he nodded in agreement to her words. "I still don't know why or how I knew that something was wrong, but something kept urging me to write to you until I heard news of what you were in the process of planning."

"I still wonder how you found out."

"You have Solona to thank for that."

"Oh, that bitch..."

"She had good intentions, Love, and it saved you."

"From myself no less," Aura nodded before she rested her head on his chest. 

"I knew then that my chance to change things for you had come, but what I wasn't expecting was to find myself falling in love with you. I had figured that we were meant to be close friends and that would be the end of it until that one night."

"That night I spoke with Alistair and the..." She felt her heart breaking again at the mention of the two who would have been her life had Alistair lived and she had not miscarried. 

"I know it hurts." Was all Cullen said as he tightened his arms around her, to know that the possibility of motherhood had slipped from her had done some damage to her mindset but that was healing. "When this is all over if you want, we can try."

Aura looked up at him, "Can we?" She asked softly as he smiled down at her. 

"Only if you want to."

The possibility to have a child with him, she wondered if it would be asking too much but she returned her head to his chest. "I think I would like to at least try." She told him as he rested his chin on her head as best as could with her snuggled up like she was. _But will we make it that far?_ She wondered silently before she pulled away to start getting dressed in her nighttime outfit. But she didn't get very far into undressing when she felt him come close and kiss the back of her neck. 

"I love you Aura, and I will do everything I can to make sure that we lead a blessed life after this is done and over with." He told her as she turned around and kissed him deeply. She heard him groan as the kiss deepened and soon felt him pin her against the wall. She felt him run his bare hand against her side and knew what was most likely about to happen, but she didn't care as she needed him.

"I love you too Cullen," She whispered as he pulled away to kiss along her jaw. It would have been debatable if she had gotten any sleep, that night but she did _eventually_.


	4. Three

Aura sat on a bench and sighed, But before she could relax completely, Varric came walking up to her with a smile. Raising a brow towards him as he offered something to her, she recognized it immediately and wondered where he had found it. "You're offering me fruit?" She questioned as he smiled. 

"Seems like you could use it," Aura frowned but took the offered fruit, "besides I know how much you like cherries." She was deeply suspicious of why he was giving it to her but when she went to take a bite of it, she instantly regretted it as the cherry was bitter in taste. Recoiling from the bitterness, she threw the rest of the fruit away into the bushes and instantly stood. 

"VARRIC!" she snarled out as he laughed, "You son of a bitch!" He turned and chuckled before taking off with her giving chase. "Come back here!" 

Varric was running and she was chasing him all throughout Haven, they passed Cullen and Cassandra, both of who looked greatly confused until Varric quickly told them: "Curly, your wife's going to kill me!" 

"I'll do a lot more than kill you dwarf!" Aura responded as she went flying by the two warriors who wondered what Varric had done to piss her off. As Varric continued to lead her around, she eventually slipped up due to some rather slick mud and landed heavily on her side. Standing she watched as Varric vanished and shook her head, she would never actually kill the dwarf as she loved him too much (as if he really were her brother), but she did huff out a growl. "Bastard..." She grumbled as she went walking back towards the town. Looking her left side over she knew that she would need a bath, and soon after reaching the house she lived in, she threw off her armor with a slight scowl and sighed as she began to heat up some water for a bath. Once the water was heated and in the tub, she undressed, threw her muddy clothing into a nearby basket that her clothing usual went into and carefully stepped into the tub. as the water warmed her chilled body, she was finally able to relax, dunking her head under the water, she soon came back up and went to grab her bottle of shampoo (or the Thedosian equivalent of shampoo) and frowned when she saw it wasn't there, "Really Cullen?" She question as she heard the man chuckle. She looked over and watched as he approached with the bottle in hand. 

"I figured it would get your attention," He leaned down and kissed her which she returned. Removing his bracers and gloves, he soon rolled up his sleeves and began to work the shampoo into her hair, which in turn caused her to begin to relax even more then what she had been. He smiled as he remembered that her hair was a weakness of hers, the only reason he knew that was due to the fact that she had passed out one sunny day a few years ago when he had played with her hair and now used every excuse possible to touch her hair. It was a way for him to help her relax and he would be damned if he didn't at least try to get her to relax. Then a thought snaked its way into his mind and dread filled his heart, he had yet to tell her the secret that he was keeping from her, but something told him that she had a suspicion that he was hiding something. "Aura..."

"Hmm?" She was bordering on the edge of sleep and it amused him at how he was the cause of it. 

"There is...something I need to tell you..." He heard the sound of guilt in his voice but when she opened her eyes she pulled away and looked at him. 

"If it's about the fact that you're not taking Lyrium anymore, I already know."

"You...know?" 

She smiled gently at him before disappearing under the water and coming back up, she turned halfway in the tub to meet his golden gaze. "You really didn't think I wouldn't have noticed?" she asked him as he thought that over.

"I figured you have a suspicion but not that you knew," He frowned as she took his hand in her smaller one and they entwined their fingers. 

"Out of all the time you've known me, I'd think you know by now that I know more then I let on." 

Cullen chuckled as he leaned forward and kissed her, "You are a sly minx," he told her as they pulled away, though their hands remained holding. 

"I am no minx, minxes are much smaller than lions, and you, my love, are a lion." She told him as he wondered why she thought of him like that. 

"And just how am I a lion?" He questioned as she laughed. 

"Is that an open invitation to comment on both your eyes and this," She asked him as she ran her fingers through the fur upon his shoulders. 

He chuckled then, "Point made. So if I am the lion what does that make you?" He questioned as she leaned forward and kissed him.

"Not a minx and certainly not a lamb," She told him before she turned back around and finished her bath. He cleaned off his hands before unrolling his sleeves and replacing his gloves and bracers, but as he did he heard her starting to hum and looked towards her. It had been a while since she had even thought of singing, and a clear indication of her preparing to sing was her humming. Watching her as she exited the bath, he listened as she sang a tune that was clearly from the world she had originally come from. She was singing the song in a language he did not understand but the meaning of it was clear, then she switched to another song and he wondered where it came from as it sounded almost elven in its wording. 

 _How is she...?_ He wondered as he thought over everything he knew about her. he knew for a fact that she knew some Elven, he had watched her as she had basically forced herself to pay attention (he had seen that her attention had been quite hard to keep sometimes) to the Dalish Elves from Ferelden and learn their language. He also knew that since she had spoken it around Solas, he had insisted on teaching her more of it despite her warning him about her "flighty" attention span and now he wondered just how much of the language she knew. But the next day would find the two at odds over the choice she would make. "Why?" he questioned as he entered the house to see her frowning over some letters from some nobles, which from the frown he could tell that they were not pleasant to read.

"Why what?" She inquired not tearing her eyes away from the letters, she had been hoping to avoid this conversation but it seemed that Cullen was intent on it.

"Why won't you listen to me and go for the Templars? It would be much safer for you."

"Cullen, I don't want "safe". We need that damn breach closed permanently and going around to gather those who would be needed to get the attention of the Lord Seeker would take too long." She informed him. 

"But walking into a trap is foolish."

"You don't think I don't know that?" She stood straight, she really didn't want to argue with him on the matter but it seemed that this time it would be unavoidable. "But if I don't at least try to get the mages on our side then I will feel like I didn't do anything worthwhile at all."

"That's not true, everything you do is worthwhile, its just that the Templars-"

"I am going for the mages Cullen, I refuse to just abandon them. I know you've had a shitty experience with them in your past, but I haven't and you want to know why?" She asked him as he gave a slight scowl, "I see mages as people and they need to be treated like that." She had played _that_ card against him and now he felt rage rearing its ugly head. 

"Aurora, if you-!"

"Don't _even_ start with me, _Commander_ ," Aura hissed at him causing him to step back as her eyes narrowed dangerously. She had never used that tone of voice with him and he was shocked. "I'm am _not_ going to argue with you on this matter. I have _made_ my decision and I am sticking with it, whether you like it or not." Aura walked past him and exited the house, leaving him standing there and he only shook his head. But that night she did not return to the house.

****

Leliana stood watching as Aura mounted up the next day and left Haven to head to Redcliffe in order to gather the Mages there. But as she watched Aura leave, a red flag went up in her head as she noticed that Cullen was not there to bid Aura goodbye. Unlike the other times Aura had left, Leliana noticed that the couple did not even look to each other and that seemed odd. Shaking her head, she worried for the couple and turned to walk away from where she had been watching Aura. Looking in Cullen's direction, she noticed that he only now looked in the direction Aura had left in but only after she was gone from sight. Walking to where her ravens were being housed, she sat down and began to write a letter of her own to someone she was sure would be able to speak with Aura and find out what was going on. Send a bird off with the letter, Leliana frowned as she shook her head once more. _If anyone can talk to Aura and find out what is going on, I know it will be her._  


	5. Four

"Fuck!" Aura called out as she hit the ground, or rather water. She stood up in time to see two people rushing towards her and the Mage she only knew as Dorian (who she had met the first time she had come to Redcliffe) and heard them gasp.

"Blood of the Elder One!" One of them exclaimed.

"Where'd they come from?" The other asked before they rushed towards Aura and Dorian, both of whom slaughtered the two attackers with ease. 

Dorian turned to her and she frowned though he was the one to speak first, "Displacement? Interesting!" he seemed both fascinated and disgusted at the same time. "It's probably not what Alexius intended. The rift must have moved us..." he began to speculate on what had happened to them. "...To what? The closest confluence of arcane energy?"

"The last thing I remember, we were in the castle hall." Aura frowned as Dorian knelt down to study something. 

"Let's see." Dorian hmmed to himself as he thought it over. "If we're still in the castle, it isn't...Oh!" Aura could swear that if this were her original world she would have seen a lightbulb appear over the man's head figuratively. "Of course! It's not simply where- it's when! Alexius used the amulet as a focus. It moved us through time!"

 _Great and here I was thinking true time-travel was impossible, thank you for proving me wrong Alexius..._ "That... by all terms and purposes, doesn't sound like a good thing." 

"it sounds terrible. Depending on when we are and what happened while we were away," Dorian missed the fact that Aura muttered something as she looked around for a moment. "Let's look around, see where the rift took us. Then we can figure out how to get back... If we can." As they found the key to the area, Aura felt strange as she passed by what looked to be lyrium, yet the color to her was strange. 

 _Lyrium isn't red, it's blue... yet this stuff around us_ looks _like lyrium..._ Aura led Dorian along the path and shivered. Yet something urged Aura to seek out the others and soon came across Fiona. After discussing with her for a bit, Aura was forced to walk away with the promise to fix things and felt her rage burning through her veins. _Red Lyrium... Didn't Cullen say something about it or was that Varric?_ Aura wondered but figured that both of them had most like mentioned it and she had not cared to listen at the time. The next person she found was a man with grey skin and horns known to her as The Iron Bull  (but she called him Bull much to his amusement) and she frowned as he turned to see her and Dorian standing there outside of his cell.

"You're not dead?" He questioned as she unlocked the door to his cell. "You're supposed to be dead. There was a burn on the ground and everything." He and Dorian went back and forth on the matter until Aura commented on how he was looking.

"Are you alright?" Bull looked at her and saw the hidden pain in her eyes, "You don't look so good."

Bull's voice softened for her, "Red Lyrium. If I'm lucky, it'll kill me. If not...I'm hoping I die fighting."

"You're dying?" Aura felt her voice catch. Despite having only know the burly man before her for a short amount of time she had come to care deeply for him like she did everyone. Dorian said a few words then Bull spoke again.

"Alexius isn't the one you need to worry about. It's his "Elder One". He killed the Empress of Orlais, and used the confusion to launch an invasion of the South." Bull informed them as Aura felt her heart drop at that. "The army was all demons. You ever fought a demon army? I don't recommend it."

Aura wasn't sure what to say at that, "Well... Shit." She saw a flash of amusement in Bull's eyes.

"I know, right? let's move. No time like the present." With that Aura led them away to hunt down another person, but soon heard the voice of someone she wasn't expecting to hear praying so fervently.

 _Cass?_ Aura was drawn to the woman's voice. They spoke a few words then went hunting for Leliana, who Aura just knew was close by. What Aura found waiting for her was not something she was expecting to see, but soon unchained the former Spymaster. 

"You're alive!" Leliana's voice was gruff and it pained Aura deeply. They spoke little, but Aura only had one question on her mind and Leliana looked at her sadly. "They forced him to take Red Lyrium, it did not kill him." Leliana knew that right now, rage would be Aura's ally. She knew that telling Aura of Cullen's fate would cause Aura to enter a blind rage and somehow knew that it would "revert" Aura to the heartless assassin the woman had once been before she had come to Thedas.

As Aura closed her eyes, she felt something in her begin to break and as they hunted Alexius down, she felt it finally snap. And it snapped as they killed and soon came to see him. "Alexius!" Aura snarled in rage as the man turned his head slightly, "It's time to answer for your crimes!" 

"And here you are, finally. I knew you would appear again. Not that it would be now. But I knew I hadn't destroyed you." the man said as Aura felt her nerves being grated on slowly. "My final failure."

"Was it worth it?" Dorian inquired, "Everything you did to the world? To yourself?"

"It doesn't matter now. All we can do is wait for the end." 

"I was expecting more of a fight, but you're so damn _pitiful_ that I don't even want to consider you worthy of honorable battle." Aura growled as she saw Leliana move in towards someone who was kneeling down. Soon enough Aura had her battle and was able to deliver a killing blow. But as Dorian undid the spell that had sent them to this hell, Aura turned to the door and was greeted by a sight that caused her heart to not only shatter but would give her nightmares for years to come as she saw Cullen enter the room. _"No..."_  She breathed out in pure horror and shock as his emotionless gaze landed on her and suddenly she felt immobilized. She felt Dorian grab her shoulder and she turned to get as close to the "time rift" as possible and returned to the present to face Alexius a second time and returned to Haven to tell the others of what they had seen. 

A short while later found her standing at the table in her house with hands gripping the edge so tightly that a tiny part of her wondered how it was not breaking under the pressure. "Aura?" She heard the voice but her rage was still flowing in her veins so she ignored the speaker. "Love?" She closed her eyes still refusing to answer the man who she loved so dearly. She heard him walking cautiously towards her, but when he went to place a hand on her she stopped him with a growl.

"Don't. Touch me right now." She warned him as he froze. 

"Aura...?" He sounded hurt by her warning but she opened her eyes to stare unseeingly at the table underneath her hands.

"Just...give me a moment to calm down." She told him as he frowned. He had read the report she had written but had noticed since her return that she was not only was she rarely sleeping as if avoiding sleep would avoid whatever nightmares haunted her now but was also avoiding him like the plague.

Deciding against listening to her even though he knew she could be very violent, he swiftly wrapped his arms around her and heard her snarl at him like a rabid wolf. He was twice as strong as her, they both knew that, and though she struggled against him for a moment, she eventually calmed down enough to allow him to hold her. "Aura what happened that you didn't write down." Aura reached up with a hand and gripped his bracer covered arm.

"I..." She closed her eyes but the image of what she had seen him become appeared before her once more. She felt her legs give out and as she went down, with him kneeling in the process as he moved to her side, she told him everything. She felt his embrace tighten, heard him inhale a sharp breath, but felt him go completely still when she got to the part about seeing him and what he had forcefully become. "I...you....your...your gaze it was...there was nothing there..." Aura couldn't fight the tears that she had been holding back. "I...I...Oh Maker, Cullen! I can't!" She felt him pull her closer and she buried her face in the fur on his shoulder. She was outright sobbing now and Cullen could only hold her. 

"It's okay, Aura. We will not let that future come to pass. I swear it!" He told her as she sobbed, uncontrollably. He closed his eyes and felt his own rage rise up at the fact that this "Elder One" had caused that future to happen. _I would rather die then become that_ **thing** _that Aura saw_. "It's alright, Love," He attempted to soothe her but all she did was continue to cry, and now he realized why she hadn't been sleeping for the past few days. What she had seen was more than just nightmare fuel it was a batch of memories so dark that she was fighting sleep so they wouldn't be used for her already taxing night terrors. When she was finally quiet, he felt her shivering and soon scooped her up to carry her to bed. He made sure to undress her, made sure to get her redressed in some sleeping clothes, and soon had his armor and other items off and was soon also dressed for bed. He was soon beside her and pulling her close, he began to play with her hair, which eased her into sleep as his mind raced around everything he had learned. Eventually, he fell asleep, but it was light as he was more than expecting her to enter into a night terror as was common for her. 

****

Aura awoke slowly, only to realize that she was resting in Cullen's arms like she remembered she had. _Strange,_ She thought as she stood up and looked around until she heard what she believed to be a waterfall. "Is that...a waterfall?" She asked herself as she turned and cautiously began to walk towards the sound. She continued to follow the sound as it grew louder and the sight she came upon took her breath away, "Wow..." As she studied this area she noted that yes there was a waterfall, but it cascaded over some cliffs and into a huge pool of water that was so crystal clear that she was able to see the bottom of the water from where she stood but the further out it went it changed from crystal clear, to a light blue and eventually faded into a dark blue. She was sure that this was only a trick of the light and could assume that it was crystal clear all the way through. She turned her attention all around her to see that this place was surrounded by trees who bark was a healthy looking dark brown, while the leaves ranged from light green to dark green. She noted that the water itself was surrounded by stones and boulders of all shapes and sizes; hopping onto one of the larger boulders with a flat surface that jutted out over the water and was soon kneeling at its edge where the water lapped lazily against the smooth stoic surface. A tiny part of Aura wondered what would happen if she touched the surface and so, indulging that tiny part of her, she reached out and brushed her fingers upon the water, causing little ripples to spread out and away from her. 

"I've seen some interesting and awe-inspiring places before, but this really takes the cake." A familiar voice, that Aura had not heard in a long time, spoke up as Aura continued to watch the waters surface, she watched as a fish leapt out of the water to eat an insect. Turning to the speaker, Aura was greeted by the sight of a blonde haired woman who smiled warmly towards her.

"Solona?" Aura asked never thinking to stand as the woman began to approach her, 

"You always knew how to bring me to places that would inspire even the greatest of poets," Solona plopped down beside Aura who decided to sit down properly as well.

"Not my fault," Aura smiled as she rested her left arm on her left knee. 

"So why here?"

"Pardon?"

"Why did you select to come here?"

Aura looked away from the woman for a moment, "I don't know, maybe...maybe it's because I find places like this to be peaceful... or maybe the Fade believed this is what I needed to see at this time." 

"Both are good possibilities," Solona agreed as she chuckled. They listened to the area around them, then she spoke again, "So a little blackbird has informed me that congratulations for you are in order."

"Blackbird?" It took Aura a moment to remember who Solona would call "blackbird" and shook her head. "Leliana," Aura huffed out in amusement. "I take it she told you about Cullen and me?"

"More than just told me. My Favorite assassin is a Rutherford, my how the time flies. I could cry."

"Bitch you start crying, you'll make me cry." Aura teased as Solona faked shock.

"I would never!" 

"Bullshit!" Aura smiled, for once she felt oddly at peace with herself as if seeing Solona was helping with some type of longing she hadn't know about. Sighing Aura frowned, "You know by now I would have started fighting off a demon, but so far none are making themselves known."

"They tend to hate places that are peaceful, I will agree with that, but when I arrived here I noticed some lingering on the outskirts but its as if something is preventing them from attacking or even entering this place as if some kind of guardian is patrolling around keeping them at bay."

"Wouldn't surprise me," Aura frowned as they continued to watch as the water's surface was broken by a fish every once in a while. They joked around as close friends are known to do and teased each other mercilessly, but eventually, they stood up.

"Take care of Leliana for me," Solona smiled sadly, "I know it's not easy on me to be so far away from her and I am sure the same can be said of her."

"I will, Solona." Aura promised as Solona then poked her side.

"And start taking better care of yourself! I want a niece or a nephew from you someday, and the only way for that to happen is if you take care of yourself."

"Quit poking me!" Aura growled playfully as Solona poked her again. 

"Never! AH!" Solona yelped out a giggle as Aura lunged at her and tackled her into the water, causing it to splash as they fell in. They wrestled around for a bit, laughing as they playfully fought as if they were real siblings. Had anyone seen them they would have assumed the two women to be nothing more then five-year-olds in thirty-something-year-olds bodies. But when Aura awoke to see that she was still wrapped up in Cullen's arms, she snuggled closer to the man and heard him snore softly as his arms tightened around her a bit. 


	6. Five

Aura frowned as she leaned over the war table to take a report from Cullen, which he gladly handed over. Since they had woken up, Aura seemed in a much better mood and the man wondered what the cause of part it could be until Leliana told him what she had done behind Aura's back. Even though Cullen figured that seeing Solona had helped Aura in someway, there was something else that was the cause of her good mood, and he knew it as she had been humming this morning. Aura read the report with a slight frown and shook her head. She sent her advisors to their respective tasks, with her being given more reports as she went about her day, and as she was leaving the war room, Dorian came strolling up to her. "So my Dear, what has you in such a good mood?"

"What?" Aura asked finally noticing that he had joined her. 

"You've been how shall I say this? Strangely invigorated since this morning and according to our Varric it has been a long time since anyone has seen you in such a pleasant mood." 

"Is there something wrong with that?" She questioned as she signed off on what Josephine had sent her way. She wasn't too sure why the woman was requesting what she was but Aura thought better of asking the woman as a six-hour sit-down and talk was not on her list of things to do.

"No. In fact, it's quite the opposite!" Dorian smiled warmly, "I don't think I've ever seen the Commander's soldiers so enthusiastic to train before."

"Do you blame them, Cullen is in a good mood which means the drills he has them going through are not as harsh."

"Ah, so my suspicion was right! You and the Commander are in a relationship!"

"Did Varric really not tell you?" Aura asked the mage who frowned now.

"Not tell me what?"

"Cullen and I are married and have been for a while now."

"What?! Since when?"

"You want the exact date? Ask Varric, _I swear that dwarf has a memory to rival an elephant_." Aura muttered that last part too low for Dorian to hear. After Dorian left her and she had passed the approved request to a scout Aura sighed. Walking into her house she sat down and pulled out a sketchbook of sorts and opened it to the pages which held what looked to be diagrams of her old armor and daggers. She missed both, but if she had to choose which of the two things to remake it would be her daggers. _But they shattered after I destroyed that thing in the Tower after the Blight was ended,_ Sighing again, Aura stood and went back outside and walked down to the lake. Soon she would close the Breach for good and right now, as she looked up towards it, She had a sneaking suspicion that she would also soon meet the reason behind her torment. 

"Herald," Cassandra's voice echoed towards Aura who looked at her, "It is time."

_So it begins..._

****

Aura looked to her hand, then towards Cassandra and Solas before moving towards the spot where she had originally shut the damn thing.

"Mages!" Cassandra called out grabbing the attention of the mages.

Solas spoke now, "Focus past the Herald! Let her will draw from you!"

All while they spoke, Aura drew ever nearer to the breach, until finally, she was directly beneath it. She felt the power of the mage as she summoned her own strength and, thrusting her hand up towards the breach, she focused on shutting it for good. Suddenly a blinding light and a forceful push of energy accompanied her slamming it shut and everyone fell backward, except for her as it forced her to kneel. She heard Cassandra drawing close and looked her way as she stood. "You did it." Cassandra smiled as Aura nodded. Upon returning to Haven, celebrations went underway though Aura did not join. 

 _Something still feels very wrong..._ Aura thought as she watched the people celebrate with drunken laughter and dancing. She was so focused on her own thoughts that she missed Cassandra walking up until the woman spoke.

"Solas confirms the heavens are scarred but calm. The Breach is sealed." Cassandra told Aura who continued to watch the celebrating people as if she were an Alpha wolf watching over her pack. "We've reports of lingering rifts, and many questions remain, but this was a victory." Aura finally looked to the woman next to her, "Word of your Heroism has spread."

"You know the truth Seeker Cassandra and how many were involved, my luck just put me at the center."

"A strange kind of luck. I'm not sure if we need more or less."

_Neither. It's shitty luck for me._

"But you're right. This was a victory of alliance. One of the few in recent memory. With the breach closed, that alliance will need new focus." Cassandra told her but then Aura's attention was dragged away by what she assumed was marching.

 _Marching?_ She questioned as she tilted her head slightly. Then the bells rang out. _An attack?!_ Aura and Cassandra shared a look.

"Forces approaching! To arms!" They heard Cullen call out causing the two already confused women to look at each other again.

"What the...?" Cassandra frowned as Aura frowned heavily. "We must get to the gates!" With that, both Cassandra and Aura raced off to find out if this was an attack. "Cullen?"

"One watchguard reporting." He started mostly ignoring the fact that Aura had to skid to a halt while also making sure she didn't lose her balance. "It's a massive force. The Bulk over the mountain." Aura frowned as she noticed something under the doors of the gate, walking around the group, Aura ignored the look of curiosity her beloved gave to her. The conversation that was held between the advisors and Cassandra was completely ignored by Aura and she felt their eyes fall on her. But after a voice called out, everything blurred by too quickly for her mind to fully comprehend but slowed to almost a stop as she looked upon the reason behind her suffering the mark and suddenly it all made sense. After that things flew by in a blur once more but soon enough she found herself in the Chantry. Looking around she spotted the boy, Cole from what he had told them of his name, from earlier, speaking about the death of the man he was helping, Rodrick, as Aura remembered. As she watched Cole help Rodrick sit down, Cullen's voice called out to her. "Aurora!" Aura looked towards him as he came jogging up to her, she knew that frown he wore very well and knew that there was no good news. "Our position is not good. That dragon stole back any time you might have earned us." Several more words where exchanged, but then Aura watched as several soldiers raced past her. She heard Cullen inform her of the purpose as she prepared to walk away she heard him speak again. "Aura..."

The woman looked at him and swiftly went to his side. "Don't Cullen." She told him before kissing his lips then pulling away. "Have faith that whatever happens, I will return to you. No matter what." And with those words, she vanished from his sight. 


	7. Six

Aura snarled like a rabid wolf as she faced down the Elder One, though she did stare down the dragon that landed nearby. _This may be the only time I truly wish that wolf-shifting ability of the **Twilight Saga** was real, would really come in fucking handy right now._ Aura turned to the Elder once again as he spoke. 

"Pretender. You toy with forces beyond your ken. No more."

"I do not fear you, coward." Aura snarled back, her _family_ , her _friends_ were threatened by this creature and she would have no more of it. Aura was sure if she had been a wolf her face would have likely looked as demonic as possible, her ears would have folded back and her hackles would have been raised.

The creature before her laughed said a few words that caused her rage to become an inferno, "Know me, know what you have pretended to be. Exalt the Elder One! The _will_ that is Corypheus! You will kneel."

Aura snarled again, "I kneel to _no one_." he spoke some more and Aura swore that he just like to hear himself talk. Then she felt him trying to rip the mark, or rather the Anchor, from her hand but she fought against his magic. 

"It is your fault, "Herald." You interrupted a ritual years in the planning, and instead of dying, you stole its purpose." Aura fought him with all her will. "I do not know how you survived, but what marks you as "touched", what you flail at rifts, I crafted to assault the very heavens." She felt herself begin forced to the ground as she felt pain blinding her, but still, she fought. "And you used the Anchor to undo my work! The gall."

"If you think for one moment that I will allow you to tear apart this world for whatever nefarious plans you have, then you are dead wrong!" Aura stood back up and looked towards Corypheus with a rage so untamed that it slightly shocked him, but he recovered swiftly and before she knew it she was held helpless in his grasp before being thrown against the only working trebuchet. Yelping out in pain as she collided with it, she saw spots bloom across her vision for several moments before she stood up, at the same time a flair made of an arrow on fire went up. Cullen... Aura thought the name of her beloved and smiled with a darkness that Corypheus could not understand. "You must be pitiful, I didn't keep you talking to indulge your sense of "I'm a wannabe god"," Aura sneered towards him, "but just know, you've made the worst possible enemy alive and I will ensure that you will regret it dearly." Aura told him as she kicked the release for the trebuchet then took off as the boulder collided with the mountainside. Jumping into a hole, she heard the dragon roar at her but that was the last thing she remembered as she fell into the hole.

****

Wolves howled and the sound haunted Cullen as he stood waiting for some sign of Aura. He heard Cassandra praying with what could be described as the fever of a zealot; heard Leliana and Josephine breathing as neither spoke; but he himself remained silently, barely breathing, as if afraid that if he dared breath that any hopes of her returning would be for nigh. Golden eyes scanning they swept the area beyond until they spotted the light that signaled the mark. Watching for several heartbeats he waited to call out but the shape that came into view had him almost crying. " **THERE!** It's her!" He went rushing forward and arrived at her side in time to catch Aura as her legs finally gave out on her. 

"Thank the Maker!" Cassandra cried out as Cullen lifted Aura into his arms. Together the group headed right back to the camp, and Cullen took her straight to the Healer's tent where any wounds she had received were seen to immediately. But as she rested Cullen and the others started to argue, fiercely. 

"What would you have me tell them? This isn't what we asked them to do!" Cullen snapped as Aura slowly awoke. 

"We cannot simply ignore this! We must find a way!" Cassandra replied.

"And who put you in charge? We need a consensus, or we have nothing!" He asked her in a rather snippy tone that had Aura leaning up to see him almost in Cassandra's face. 

 _I need to calm him..._ Aura thought worriedly but could not make herself move yet. 

"Please, we must use reason! Without the infrastructure of the Inquisition, we're hobbled." Josephine spoke quickly as Aura continued to watch them.

"That can't come from nowhere!" Cullen snarled at her. 

Leliana quickly jumped to Josephine's defense, "She didn't say it could!" 

"Enough!" Cassandra damn near roared, "This is getting us nowhere!"

"Well, we're agreed on that much!" Cullen huffed out before he turned away and stormed off. 

 _I need to calm them all..._ Aura frowned biting her lower lip, but a gentle voice drew her attention away from the group.

"Shh, you need rest." Aura turned to see a woman, Mother Giselle as she recognized her, speaking softly. 

"They've been at it for hours..." Aura frowned as Giselle watched her carefully. 

They have that luxury, thanks to you." Giselle knew Aura was worried about the Advisors, "The enemy could not follow, and with time to doubt, we turn to blame. Infighting may threaten as much as this Corypheus." They spoke a bit more, with Aura finally managing to sit up, swing her legs over the edge of the cot she lay one, then she stood and shook her head.

Aura was doubting things heavily now and let that be known in her next words. "I felt no divine aid with either the Conclave or Haven. In all honesty, this struggle has become mine and mine alone." Aura walked out of the healer's tent to see that her friends, her advisors, had all just scattered around the camp and frowned to herself. Cullen wouldn't even look in her direction, Leliana and Josephine were sitting near a fire to keep warm, and Cassandra was scanning a map on the table she was standing over. As Aura scanned each person, her eyes lingering upon Cullen for a few moments, she heard Giselle's voice as the woman began to sing and turned to her, and suddenly everyone (except for Solas who noticed that Aura was suddenly uncomfortable) joined in.

Once it was over Aura looked to Giselle as the older woman spoke once more, "Faith may have yet to find you, but it has already found them." She spoke calmly before walking away.

Aura watched her walk away, but then turned her head towards Solas as he came walking up to her, "A word?" He asked before leaving with her following.

Cullen watched her follow the elf and wondered what the apostate wanted from his wife, but sometime later (more or less several days later) he would see the reason behind the elf speaking with her and soon he would find himself leaning over some blueprints to the fortress, when he heard the arguing of two people behind him. glancing over his shoulder he saw Solas and the woman known as Viviene arguing over the strange boy that Aura had allowed to come with them. "This is is not a stray puppy you can make into a pet. It has no business being here." Viviene snapped at the elf who frowned.  Cullen sent the soldier at his side away for a moment and turned to watch this unfold. 

"Wouldn't you say the same of an apostate?" Solas retorted as Cullen watch Aura come walking down from wherever she had previously been. 

"Inquisitor," Cassandra turned her gaze towards Aura. "I wondered if Cole was perhaps a mage, given his unusual abilities." 

"He can cause people to forget him, or even fail entirely to notice him," Solas spoke up as the attention of the group turned to Aura. "These are not the abilities of a mage. It seems that Cole is a spirit." Cullen watched as Aura frowned, but said nothing as he turned back to the blueprints, though he continued to listen in.

"It is a demon." Viviene frowned.

"If you prefer," Solas said calmly, "Although the truth is somewhat more complex."

Then Aura spoke, "Cole warned us about Corypheus at Haven. He saved a lot of lives." Aura told them as the group turned to her.

"And what will its help cost? How many lives will this demon later claim?" Viviene asked of Aura who Cullen knew was fighting back a snarky remark. 

"In fact, his nature is not so easily defined." Solas came back with as Cassandra spoke next.

"Speak plainly, Solas. What _are_ we dealing with?"

"Demons normally enter this world by possessing something," Solas started the lecture and Cullen began to drown him out, "In their true form, they look bizarre, monstrous."

"But you claim Cole looks like a young man. Is it possession?" Cassandra inquired as Cullen wondered that same thing.

"No." That shocked them and made both wonder, though Cullen kept his hidden by giving orders to scouts and soldiers that came and went. "He has possessed nothing and no one, and yet he appears human in all respects." Solas turned to Aura, "Cole is unique, Inquisitor. More than that, he wishes to help. I suggest you allow him to do so." They spoke for a moment more then parted ways and Cullen watched as Aura went to speak with the strange boy. he watched as the boy spoke, watched a soldier finally collapse, saw her shoulders drop and somehow knew that there was another letter to send to a family with condolences. He watched as his beloved spoke with the boy, then she walked away with a smile on her face.


	8. Seven

Josephine intercepted Aura as the woman made her way from the stables and took her back to the main hall which had been cleared out in time that Aura had been away from Skyhold, which was the name of the fortress, to take her first step as Inquisitor and told Aura all about what she was about to do. "Wait...what?" Aura questioned as Josephine nodded. "Great...more lives on my hands." Aura sighed before looking back up at the woman, "Who do I need to judge right now?" Aura questioned as Josephine furrowed her brows.

"Take the throne when you're ready." Josephine began to walk away, and Aura frowned. "We will bring him before you." 

 _I can only imagine who this would be._ Aura thought as she noticed Cullen enter as well as several others, he looked a shade confused (which was the same way she felt) but she sat in the throne and watched as Josephine returned with her ever-present clipboard.

"This one was a surprise." She started as Aura frowned. "After you returned from your time in the bogs," Aura thanked her with many colorful words in her mind, "We discovered this man attacking. The building. With a..." Josephine seemed unsure about what she said next, "Goat."

 _A goat?_ Aura wondered as she dared a small, yet completed missed glance towards the others in the room. Each face was just as confused as the last and she noticed that Cullen and the man (that man being the ever infamous Hawke, who Aura had been beyond happy to see) that soon appeared next to him looked to each other with bewilderment. She watched Hawke mouth the words "a goat" questioningly to Cullen who could only shrug, but all eyes turned to a man with blue and white paint on his body, while he wore an outfit seemingly unique to the people Aura had assumed to correctly be called Avvar. 

"Chief Morvran the Under." Josephine introduced the man, spoke the reason the man was there, then asked Aura several questions. "What shall we do with him? Where...should he go?"

 _First off how in the living fuck did he manage to climb up and throw a goat at Skyhold?_ Aura wondered before she spoke, "You answered the death of your clan... with a goat?" The man laughed before he spoke about his customs to which Aura began to wonder if this man was right in the head as she looked towards Josephine with her infamous "why the fuck did you bring me into this" face.

"Don't look at me." 

"No Foul! he meant to murder Tevinters, but got feisty with your Inquisition. A redheaded mother guarantees a brat." Morvran exclaimed but Aura wasn't amused at least not until he claimed his clan yielded and made a joke about his sons.

"It does seem like our conflict was accidental, Chief Movran," Aura smiled then, she couldn't find fault in his words and she wasn't the biggest fan of those from Tevinter at this time (minus Dorian), "But it can't be repeated. I banish you and your clan- with as many weapons as you can carry- to Tevinter." Once the man was gone the room cleared out, Aura breathed out and shook her head, but before she could get any semblance of peace, Hawke came walking up to her.

"I was born and lived in Thedas my entire life, and even I find that strange."

"Where I come from throwing goats isn't common either, Garrett." Aura smiled as the man chuckled. Then she sighed, "It's been several years since I last thought of that place," Aura stood and together they walked out of the main hall and went up to the battlements above the main gate. 

"Do you miss it?" Garrett asked as Aura looked to him as she rested her arms on the stones. Neither noticed Cullen coming their way, only for him to stop and listen in on their conversation as he heard Garrett ask that question. 

"I used to, and I will admit that sometimes I still do though it's rarer now like once a year."

"Would you go back if you were given the option?"

Cullen realized that they were speaking of the world Aura had come to Thedas from, but the laugh she had told him all he needed to know. "No. I never fit in there. I was the outcast of society and my so-called family as I never fit in with that world for reasons I still can't explain, so I was one of the unwanted ones who couldn't "find her place". But if it were offered to me to send me back I would still refuse."

"Why?" 

"That world is coming to an end. The human race in that world has lived their golden age and is on the decline though many would tell you that those words aren't true."

"How do you know that?" Hawke asked intrigued by her words. 

"I was one of the "unwanted ones" remember?" Aura asked him as she stood straight. "We who are left out or are seen as useless, broken, or are labeled with words that are meant to separate us from the rest of the human race, to make us seem unfit...We just know." Aura placed a hand on the stone of the rampart before her. "I know that world is ending, she was..." Aura trailed off as she let her mind scramble for the right words. "She is tired. She was the mother to all on that world, and despite the efforts of many, they-" Aura closed her eyes, " _WE_ still harmed her, so many of us long and longed to leave and so far only a few have ever truly succeeded."

"But you came here through an Eluvan."

"Purely by accident, I was nineteen when I entered the mirror."

"But you were twenty-two when I first met you!" Cullen finally spoke up as Aura turned to see him walking up. 

"I was lost for three years before I made my way to Thedas, love." She told Cullen as Garrett frowned. 

"How old are you now Aura?" He watched as she looked at him with a blank stare for a moment. "You really are bad a keeping track of time..." He frowned as Cullen chuckled. 

"I was nineteen when she and I first met," Cullen spoke quickly as Garrett looked to him. "She's two to three years older then I am."

"And you're what? Thirty now?" Garrett asked as Aura frowned. 

"He's thirty and I will be thirty-three here soon." Aura admitted as both stopped to look at her. 

"Soon?" Both echoed as Aura groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. They heard her call them "idiots" and she shook her head before walking away.

"Thirtieth of Bloomingtide." She told them before disappearing completely and they stared at each other in shock. 

"Well...shit." Was all Garrett said as they realized just how close her birthday really was and Cullen silently agreed with him. 

The next day would find Aura stroking the velvety nose of a foal no older than a month and was smiling as it nipped at her clothing. "Hey now, little one, don't be doing that." She heard the nicker of Cullen's horse and watched as he came walking up. "Hey, buddy." She greeted the proud stallion who reached his head over the fence to nuzzle her hand, Aura laughed then, "Nothing gets by you does it, boy?" She asked as she reached into a pocket and pulled out a sugar cube to give to him. "Don't tell Cullen," She told the stallion who scooped up the treat swiftly just as the spoken of man came walking up.

"Don't tell me what?" 

"Nothing." Aura smiled as he gave her a very unamused look, "What?" She smiled as he shook his head while his horse nuzzled Aura's hand then her pocket which caused Cullen to raise a brow as she looked at the horse.

"Really?" he asked amused, as he realized that she had given the beast a sugar cube, as she frowned at the stallion. 

"Hey, asshole! I told you not to tell him," She scolded the beast who only snorted at her until the foal whinnied and took off. They watched the foal as it went to find its mother and Aura began to pet the stallion's nose.

Neither Aura nor Cullen spoke for several moments then, "Aura?"

"Yes?" She asked turning to look at Cullen, he looked like he wanted to say something but seemed to think better of it.

"The meeting?" he questioned as she mentally kicked herself for forgetting about it. 

"Right, go on ahead. I'll be there momentarily," she told him as he nodded and walked away. Once he was out of sight Aura looked down towards the ground as Cullen's horse nuzzled her arm worriedly. "We will be fine, boy." She told the horse weakly. What she did not know, was that Cole had seen the short interaction between her and Cullen and frowned as he felt the need to heal their hurt. When Aura left with Hawke, Varric, Bull, and Dorian that afternoon though, Cole set out to find Cullen who was staring blankly at the reports in front of him.

"She wishes it wasn't her." Cullen looked up to see Cole watching him with head tilted to the side a bit. "She wishes she hadn't gone. That she had never been asked to leave."

"What are you saying, Cole?" Cullen asked the boy who watched him before looking outside.

"It is killing her." Then Cole left before Cullen could ask him what he meant. 

 _What is killing her?_ He wondered briefly before looking to his left hand where suddenly the band on his finger became heavy, and as he did it hit him, hard. _The...mark? Is...Killing her?_   He looked outside one of his windows and suddenly he knew why she was slowly becoming more distant from him. Yes, they still had their moments of love and compassion towards each other, but now he noticed they hadn't had any since arriving at Skyhold. Frowning, he wondered just how the mark was killing her but shaking his head, he felt something urging him to go speak with Solas, which he did, only for both to discover that Cole had spoken true. The Anchor was killing her, but very slowly.

****

 "Well, this is going to be...exciting..." Aura frowned as she stood and heard the roar of a dragon. 

"Boss, I want you to know you're the best!" Bull grinned as she frowned. 

"I think that's a bit premature there Bull." Aura said as they prepared for a fight. _Oh, Cullen is going to kill me when I get back to Skyhold._ Aura though as the beast came circling around them. 

"Baiting a dragon. On purpose. Right. Should've stayed home today." Varric groaned causing Aura to smirk. Just as it landed Aura and Bull flew at the beast while Dorian hung back and flung spells at it, and Varric fired off bolts left and right. Once the beast was down, Aura looked to Bull and the grins on their faces could not describe the feeling of the adrenaline running through their blood.

"Now _THAT_ was worth it," She smiled as they went to the nearby keep where she was met with Cullen's second-in-command, Knight-Captain Rylen, who did not miss the claw marks that now ran from her left cheek, down along the side of her throat and onto her back. 

"Inquisitor, are you aware of your Injuries?" He asked swiftly as Aura frowned. 

"I hadn't been until now," She explained as she suddenly realized that she felt the sudden pain of when the beast had taken a swipe at her when she had turned her back to it while attempting to get away. 

"Blame the adrenaline," Bull called out as she smiled at him while he came walking up to her. "Might want to get them checked out and healed up though Boss." 

"I was planning on it," Aura said as Rylen led her to a nearby healer. "Stings like a bitch." She muttered as the Healer had her sit down, The Knight-Captain smiled then left her to be tended by the healer as word reached him of the arrival of the Advisors, with the promise to "soften" the Commander up. Which didn't work as the moment the healer finished cleaning the wounds, Cullen all but came charging into the room and saw her sitting still as the healer tended to her. 

"Maker's Breath!" He said as she looked towards him.

"It's not as bad as you think." She tried but the look he gave her told her that he didn't believe it.

"How can it not be?" He questioned as his arms crossed. 

"It could be wor-!" Aura hissed at that moment.

"Please Inquisitor, do try to sit still," The Healer asked of Aura as she closed her eyes. Once the healer was done and the wounds made into scars. Aura turned to Cullen who was scowling. 

"Lecture me later?" She questioned as she stood to put on some new armor.

"I...fine," he agreed knowing that right now really wasn't the best time to lecture her. Not with the siege merely only a few days away. "But after we return to Skyhold-"

"Yes, yes, you going to give me an earful, which I will say now will go in one ear and out of the other." She told him as he frowned. 

"Like it normally tends to do," He muttered as she walked over to him. Stopping before him she looked into his eyes, her cool blue meeting his golden ones, then as if she were unable to stop herself she reached up and placed her hand on his cheek. For a moment his eyes, which had been hard, softened and he closed them while leaning his head into the palm of her hand, but then he pulled away, eyes no longer soft. 

Clearing his throat, he saw the hurt lingering in hers but it was swiftly hidden. "We...I...have work to return to." He walked away leaving Aura standing there watching after him, but eventually, her head dropped and she felt a stinging pain in her chest. 

She felt arms wrap around her and looked to see Garrett hugging her and she allowed herself to relax in his arms, "So you fought a dragon huh?" he asked trying to lighten the dark mood he saw hanging over her.

"A high dragon to be exact," Aura knew what Garrett was trying to do and, switching moods instantly, smiled as she corrected him. "I wonder if Varric is still mad at me for dragging him with me?" She questioned as Hawke wrapped an arm around her shoulder. 

"Why don't we go get a drink in celebration and see if we can't find out while you tell me all about it?" He smirked as she laughed. 

"Where would I begin?" She questioned as she followed him away from that area. "Let's start with the bait..."

She did not know that Cullen and Rylen were watching as Hawke led Aura away, guilt plagued Cullen and worry for his friend ate at Rylen as he watched the way his commander was watching Aura walk away. 


	9. Eight

"Ahh...!"  Aura groaned as she slowly stood up. Shaking her head clear, Aura looked around to take count of everyone and saw that Hawke's Grey Warden friend, Stroud, was standing on a wall; Hawke himself was standing on what Aura could assume to be a little cliff; She saw Dorian standing up; watched as Varric looked around and noticed Bull looking around with a protective stance in his posture.

Aure looked to Stroud who was frowning, but then Garrett spoke at that moment, "Is this... Are we dead?'

"Maker, I hope not..." Aura frowned.

"If this is the afterlife, the Chantry owes me an apology. This looks nothing like the Maker's bosom."

"You are surprising calm there, Brother." Aura told the man who looked her way.

"Aww, you called me brother, will you do it again?"

"Don't hold your breath." Aura told him as he hopped on down to where she was with Stroud following suit. 

"We are not dead. The Inquisitor used the mark to open another rift. We fell through. I believe we are _in_ the Fade," Stroud frowned.

"The first time I entered the Fade," Dorian started, "It looked like a lovely castle filled with gold and silks. I met a marvelous desire demon, as I recall. We chatted and ate grapes before he attempted to possess me." Dorian frowned, "Perhaps the difference is that we are here physically. This is no one's dream."

Garrett turned to Aura then, "Aura, the stories say you walked out of the Fade at Haven. Was it like this?"

"Garrett, I still don't remember what in the fuck happened when I last did this. Yet I am having one mother of a Déjà Vu." She frowned as she walked forward. 

"Well, whatever happened at Haven," Garrett frowned, "We can't assume we're safe now." He spoke Aura agreed with him. "That huge demon was right on the other side of that rift Erimond was using, and there could be others."

Bull groaned then, "Oh, this is shitty," Aura looked to him, "I'll fight whatever you give me, boss, but nobody said nothing about getting dragged through the ass end of demon town."

"in our world," Stoud grasped everyone's attention then, "the rift the demons came through was nearby. In the main hall. Can we escape the same way?"

"I'd say that's our best bet. I really don't want to stick around waiting for the demons to come after us," Aura told them, "the sooner I can make sure that we all make it out, the soon that damn rift gets slammed shut in the demons' faces." Aura scanned for a mostly safe path to use and spotted one. "There! Let's go." As they took off Aura heard Bull mimicking his second, Krem, and couldn't help the smile on her face.

Then Varric spoke up and Aura fought back a laugh, "Is this really what it's like when you dream? How do you people ever sleep?" He questioned before turning to Garrett, "Remember the last time we ended up in the Fade, Hawke?" 

 _That's just asking for snarky-!_ Aura's thought was interrupted.

"Oh, how could I forget." Hawke started, "My closest friends showed such loyalty in the face of a demon's temptations." 

"Wait, what?" Aura asked looking between the two, "You guys went and had a party in the Fade with a demon and didn't invite me? Well, I see how you are."

Hawke smiled towards her, "I'm sorry, sis." He apologized, though it was revealed in the tones of their voices that they were joking. "Next time I go to have a party with a demon I will gladly invite you."

"I accept that apology." She smiled at him as they continued on their path but eventually, the Demon sensed their presence and began to try using their fears against them. Aura especially.

 _"...You snapped at a god, but you know the truth. You know that you are weak and are failing your friends just like you failed Alistair and that child."_ Aura felt it hit a nerve at the name mentioned. _"How long has it been? Ten, eleven years? Not even enough time to properly grieve his death and you married his friend from the Order. Maybe I should ease you of your-!"_ but then demon didn't get to finish his words as Aura closed her eyes and focused on a song from her world.

She forced him out of her mind and he growled at her, "Stay out of my head, demon." She opened her eyes and looked forward. "You will not find what you seek from me." After that the demon was silent and they continued to forge their path forward. _I know I failed him, but I will not fail my friends or Cullen. Even if it kills me, I will not fail._

****

Aura watched Hawke leave Skyhold; guilt was plaguing her, but as she stood on the balcony of her room she found herself shaking her head and walking away to look out over the mountains. Since their return from the Fade, Aura had been avoiding most everyone, to include Cullen. When he would try to speak with her on anything other than matters involving the Inquisition she would tell him that she wasn't in the mood or that "now wasn't the time" and walk away, leaving him confused and greatly worried and it would continue every time he tried to speak with her, it was so persistent that Bull finally pulled Cullen aside to speak with him. 

"That demon got to the boss's head pretty bad," he told the man who watched him.

"What?"

Bull told him of what the demon had said and shook his head, "...but the memories aren't helping her either. If you can't do something soon, Cullen. We may end up losing her altogether." Bull and Cullen looked towards the balcony where Aura stood looking out over Skyhold and the mountains once more. 

"I can't do anything for her if she won't talk to me," Cullen frowned before Bull looked at him. 

"Then make her."

"What?!" Cullen looked at Bull as if the man had sprouted wings. "Why would I force her to talk to me?"

"It would be easier than waiting for an eternity for her to say anything."

"And here I thought you said you would never suggest-"

"If I didn't think she needed it then I wouldn't have suggested it, and this is something the boss, and you, both need." With that, Bull walked away as Cullen looked back towards Aura who had closed her eyes. But it wouldn't be for several more days before Cullen finally decided to take Bull on his advice, except that day his withdrawal was hitting him hard and a part of him was telling him that today would not be a good day to argue with her. 

"Aura, what is going on?" he asked walking up to her as she stood at her desk looking over papers and such.

"You'll have to be more specific on that subject," She told him as he watched her pick up something to read it over. The face she made at the letter made him wonder if explode into a ball of flames, but she eventually set it down and sighed. _"Why does she insist on me reading these damn things? It's not like I can change the hivemind that seems to be all nobles..."_ She muttered with Cullen watching as he labeled down to a noble testing her patience. 

"Nobles?"

"When isn't it?" She questioned as she scowled at the scattered papers. "Just when I think I might get a small break, nope! another noble requesting this or that! This one actually has the balls to demand proof that you and I are married as he "believes that The Lady Inquisitor is just using the Commander's name to drive away any potential suitors who would be better for her." I have half a mind to throttle the man myself but that would be beneath me to rise to _that_ bait, so I won't."

Cullen glared at the paper that she picked up then, then it hit him what she said and looked at her in surprise, "Beneath you to throttle someone? You really have tempered yourself since we met so long ago."

"Mmn, I'm still likely to kill someone before this is all over so don't go ruling that out yet." Aura frowned as she looked at him.

"Dorian and I were just speaking on how you have developed a flair for the dramatic."

"I don't kill _THAT_ many people!" She shot him a glare, and he smiled innocently. "You are not innocent so don't even try to go there," She smiled at him as he walked over to her, she felt him remove the letter from her hand, set it down on the desk and then he kissed her. It wasn't a kiss that was filled with need, no, it was a kiss that told her about his love for her; it told her how much he had missed her due to how distant she had been since the siege. When they pulled away Aura, rested her head on his chest. "I'm sorry I've been so distant, my Love." 

“I’m not mad, I am just worried for you,” Cullen told her before his lips met hers again. But then unlike the last one this kiss grew needier. “Aura?” He pulled away with the question in his eyes. They had not touched each other in the sexual sense since before Haven was attacked, and right now it was showing. Aura did not say anything only claimed his lips and found herself being pinned against the wall.


	10. Nine (NSFW)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have some (what I see as cringy since I cant write these scenes well) smut and then some fluff,

Aura heard Cullen growl low as he gently bit her jawline. “Cullen...I...” She felt a shiver wrack her body as his hands found her sides and ran along them. She whimpered as his hands somehow found her breastband and removed it as he returned to her lips, and part of her was now glad they made sure to lock the door at night. When she felt him pull away she whimpered again and met his golden lion-like eyes.

”I want to see you in the light of the moons,” he spoke swiftly as he left her side to put out the candles and the fire in the hearth. As soon as that was done he returned to her and began to kiss her again, starting with her lips then moving to her throat as her head went back, allowing him access to it. A pleased growl escaped him as he pulled away long enough to remove what bits of armor he wore, then he went for her shirt which was soon off of her and now he moved them to the bed where he had her trapped beneath him. His hands found her breasts and began to need at them as he claimed her lips, jaw, and throat once more before moving to one of her bare nipples. Taking it in his mouth he began to suckle as his free hand slide down to where her pants where; he managed to loosen her pants and soon his fingers began to tease her through her smalls. 

“Cullen...” she moaned his name as he continued to tease. “Fuck Cullen...please...” she began to squirm under his ministrations and he found that it aroused him even more. He released the nipple he held in his mouth and began to kiss along her stomach, stopping just above where her smalls and pants covered her. With a snarl, he all but ripped those off of her and began to kiss her again, this time though he spread her legs and kissed along first her left one then her right, always keeping her denied as she started begging. He returned to her stomach and kissed her sweetly before his fingers began to tease at her entrance. 

“So wet...and we’ve only started...” He moaned against her skin causing her to shiver with the sound. He forced the lips to her entrance to part and rubbed between them at what she would consider an agonizing pace. Lifting his gaze to her face, he saw that she was trying very hard to hold back a moan and she felt his eyes watching her. He smiled wickedly as suddenly he forced to fingers into her and she gasped as her hands clawed at the bedding, trying to find some kind of purchase while her back arched. He began to move his fingers slowly, carefully, as he didn’t want to end this too soon. She moaned his name and pleaded with him for more but he would not give it to her. Not yet. He watched her lips part, heard his name come from them,  but he was lost for the moment as he drank in the sight of the Inquisitor, _his wife_ , laid bare before him. His eyes ravished her naked form, and he felt drunk off of seeing her so helpless as he teased and played with her. The light of the moons only added to the beauty he knew she was, and he found it becoming harder to resist screwing her right then and there; as if he was taking a que from a moan from her, he picked up the pace of moving his fingers in her core and she squirmed even more. He continued until finally he hit the spot that sent her over the edge and she cried out his name which forced him to control himself. But he wasn’t finished with her as the moment she came out of that first high, he sent her right back into it with his fingers AND tongue.

When he pulled away he gave her a few moments to recover but she had other ideas and so once she was near recovered she attacked him, “My turn,” she growled low as he felt her pin him down. She wasn’t nearly as physically powerful as he was, but that mattered little when she started doing what she was sure would drive him crazy and soon it was Cullen who was struggling to control himself as what little control he did have slipped away. She kissed him, she nipped and she bit along his throat, only to soothe the bites with her tongue. She knew he was still wearing his pants, she could feel him straining against the confines of it, but she wanted to feel the skin of his broad chest and soon his shirt was flung to the far reaches of their room and she used this advantage she had been given to kiss the scars from his youth. She knew what these scars were from, yet she was not bothered by them. She kissed each scar and made sure to return to his lips which she kissed gently before kissing the scar upon his lips. She wasn’t exactly sure what happened next but she did know that before she could fully taunt him, he was bared to her fully and soon was in her. She rode him hard, moving her hips in just a way that had him digging his fingers into her skin. She heard him growling her name and before she knew it she was pinned under him as he turned the tides and began thrusting deep into her. To say they had become rather vocal wouldn’t be a lie it wouldn’t be the exact truth either as they were soon reduced to groans, moaning and animalistic growling. His teeth found her should and as he rammed into her one last time, which set both tumbling over as her walls clamped down on his now throbbing cock as his seed spilled forth into her waiting womb, his teeth came down on his shoulder as she howled his name. To keep their high going he would continue to thrust several more times before reaching a second climax and this time it was she who bit him as he roared her name into the nighttime air.

****

Cullen felt Aura’s fingers running gently over the scars on his chest and he looked towards her with a smile. “You never did answer my question about that,” He stated as she looked towards him. 

“What question was that?” Aura asked softly as her dark blue gaze met his golden one. 

“Why are you always keen on touching my scars?” 

“Hmm...” she hummed to herself as she returned to tracing them lightly. “I touch them so you will know that I love you regardless if you have them or not.” 

She told him softly as her hands continued to trace the scars. She felt his fingers go to the scars she had earned from the High Dragon and felt how gently he ran his hand along them. "To me, they only add more to your ruggedly handsome good looks," She smiled as he chuckled.

"Then if my scars add to my looks, your scars must add extra beauty to yours." he felt her swat at him and they laughed.

"I am not beautiful and I never was," She smiled as he leaned up onto his elbow and studied her for several moments.

"You are though," he started running his fingers against her cheek, "I am sure there is a reason behind why you don't see yourself as such. But that is how I see you, Aura." He told her softly. "I see you as a truly beautiful woman, scars," his fingers touched the scar that started on her cheek and traced it down its length to her back. "or no scars." 


	11. Ten

Aura watched a pacing Josephine with a cool and passive gaze. As she watched the poor woman, Aura was reminded of a former friend of hers and almost, _almost_ , let out a laugh.  "Josephine, calm down, everything will be fine," Aura told the woman for what felt like the hundredth, or maybe the billionth, time in a row. 

"I'm sure it will but this is the Empress's life on the line," Josephine stopped pacing as she finally realized that Aura was leaning against the wall watching her. They were not yet at the Winter Palace and would not be for several more hours, but they were at Vivienne's home as the woman had offered for them to use it. "Oh, Inquisitor! I did not realize it was you." Then Josephine noted that Aura was already dressed for the Masquerade. "You are already dressed?" She asked questioningly as Aura shrugged. The outfit was militant in uniform as all members of the Advisors and the Inner Circle were wearing the same colors, a red and yellow coat with brown pants and leather boots (which on Aura came up to if not just above knee hight), with yellow gloves and belt which matched the gold trimming on the coat while the sash, which wrapped around her left shoulder and was tied around her waist, was an almost royal blue. Josephine noted how this outfit somehow (and very oddly) brought out Aura's eye color.

"Better to be prepared ahead of time then to rush at the last moment," Aura frowned as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"What about the-!"

"He's being a three-year-old about all of this, so I left him to get ready on his own." 

Leliana chose that moment to walk in, "Never would have expected you to do that Aura," Leliana smiled as Aura shrugged again a smile tugging at her lips. 

"What can I say?" Aura smiled towards Leliana, "Alistair wasn't half as bad as Cullen can be."

"Solona can be worse," Leliana smirked as Aura snorted.

"All three combined are nowhere near as bad as Oghren was." At that, Leliana and Aura both chuckled. 

Cullen walked in at that moment and looked at Josephine who shrugged, "What joke are we missing?" He asked as Leliana and Aura turned to both of them. 

"Something I will be sure to share later," Aura promised as she stood straight, "Thought I will say this: I don't think I have ever seen a mage look so offended in my life."

"Agreed," Leliana smiled as the others made themselves known. Once they were all ready they went to the stables and once they were up in the saddles of their respected mounts, they headed for the Winter Palace. Though as they rode, Cullen noted that Aura seemed distant and knew exactly why as the Masquerade was coming on the heels of the anniversary of Alistair's death. 

"Boss okay?" Cullen looked towards Bull who came riding up to him.

"She is still mourning," Cullen replied as Bull frowned. "Alistair's death was not easy on her." His voice dropped as Bull watched Aura with a frown.

"Death never really is..." Bull went quiet for a few moments before speaking again, "She loved him didn't she?"

"Very much. I can never replace him, nor do I want to, but I can be there for her." He told Bull who watched him curiously. "Aura loves me, but it is different compared to the love she had with him." Cullen watched Aura with a slight frown but shook his head as Bull let his mount slow down. Cullen let his mind wander back to a week ago when Aura had left Skyhold for a couple of days.

_Cullen found Aura standing at the old camp that had been their tiny base of operations eleven years ago. She was scanning the area but he knew she could hear him walking up. "Eleven," She frowned as she turned her head to him, "It's been Eleven whole years since we were last here." She started as he finished his approach. "And I still remember each day as if it was only yesterday," Cullen said nothing as he looked around at the empty clearing. He remembered it as well, though his memories of this place were far fewer then Aura's were. Both, however, remembered the fun and laughter that had once filled this clearing, they each remembered everything that had transpired with Alistair surprising Aura by scooping her up one day when she had been speaking with Cullen about something, the surprised squeal that had escaped her before she started the insults as  Alistair had laughed while Cullen struggled to contain his laughter at the sight of Aura looking so helpless as his friend carried her away. Cullen remembered how afterword, Aura had called them both very insulting names and all the two men did was laugh at her before she had stomped away in a huff to vent out her frustration with Sten (as the Qunari had offered to help her with her training) despite the fact that she had secretly afraid of the man. Cullen also remembered the day Solona had taken Alistair with her and two others to speak with the Dalish elves, though they had returned with a surprising fifth member who had noted Aura and had instantly tried to woo her with charms that didn't seem to work, which in turn had Cullen becoming more of a bodyguard for the poor woman when Alistair wasn't around as the elf didn't dare mess with her when he was around (though in truth it had taken the elf, Zeveran, almost a full-on fistfight with Alistair before Aura had stopped the "macho bullshit" by snapping at both). Then Solona had taken Aura with her to the dwarven kingdom, leaving Alistair and Cullen to speak about Aura until they returned with the one called Oghren, who, despite being drunk all the time, had swiftly earned his friendship with Aura. Aura had smiled more as the camp filled with people and had in some small way started to share more of her story with Cullen, or well she had until Aura had gathered Solona, Leliana, Cullen, and Alistair close and told them about the Eluvian she had come through. Solona had told Aura that they would go and find it together, but once the five of them had found said mirror, it had been a mirror no more._

_"Aura?"_

_"Yes?"_

_"I know you and Hawke talked about it, but... If you did have the chance to go back to the world of your birth would you go?" Cullen asked as she looked towards him, now in thought._

_"No, I am happier here than I ever was there. Here I have friends who are more than just friends, they are my family. Here, I am..." She trailed off for a moment trying to find the right word._

_"Complete?"_

_"That too," She nodded. "But I was going to say that here in this world, I can be myself, the true me I was meant to be. As if the part of me that was unsure of myself just...went away like it never existed in the first place as if I was broken and suddenly healed." Aura frowned looking once more back around the clearing. She noted that the rosebush she had planted some years ago had finally finished growing and smiled. "Almost six years ago I came back here..." She began walking towards the bush and knelt down beside the thorny and leafy plant, all while Cullen watched her before following. "...and I planted the seeds for this wild growing bush in his memory." As Cullen studied the rose bush, he swiftly noticed something she did not and smiled. On the side of the plant facing them was a rose in full bloom, but the color was not red or white, but multiple colors which somehow didn't seem exactly normal for a rose._

_"Aura, you may want to see this." He told her as she looked at him then to the plant as he gestured towards it. Her gaze fell upon the multi-colored rose and almost gasped._

_"That...that shouldn't be physically possible," She murmured as she reached out and gently touched the soft petals of the flower. "These colors..." She frowned as she looked towards the night sky, which Cullen copied but he didn't see anything. He watched her as she looked back down towards the rose with a frown. "These colors are the very same colors that came from what I was named after..."_

_"What were you named after?" He asked softly as she smiled._

_"I was named after a naturally occurring phenomenon that happens in the night sky in the very far north of the world I was born into. Its called the Aurora Borealis, or more commonly known as the Northern Lights." She smiled. "My mother had this strange obsession with it, and after I was born I was named after it."_

_"It sounds beautiful."_

_"It was breathtaking... I remember that my mother and step-father took me to a place where after the sun had set for the night, it would be best seen as it lit up the night sky and the sight was...There are no words in any language to describe what it feels like to have seen such a beautiful sight." Aura seemed lost to memory as Cullen studied her lovingly._

Like there are no words to describe how beautiful you are, _He thought to himself as his gaze flitted over her._

Cullen smiled at that memory. To him there truly no words to describe how beautiful she was to him. He remembered her trying to describe the sensation of having seen the thing that was her namesake, and giving up after a bit find that it was rather difficult for her to tell him what it was like seeing it. What was not so difficult though was when he had asked her about her full name. She had looked directly at him and without missing a beat had said her full name. Aurora Midnight Crystalglade, which was now Aurora Midnight Rutherford and that little thought brought a slight smile to his face as he watched Aura as she leaned forward to pat the neck of her horse, who nickered softly at her gentle touch. But somehow he just knew this night would really test not only her patience but also her temper. Though how badly it would, he wouldn’t find out till much later.

****

Aura pinched the bridge of her nose as she stood on the balcony, this night had tested her far beyond what she had anticipated and her temper was being held back by a single string, looking to her left hand she felt a tingling sensation and knew that the Anchor was preparing to act up which she was now, sadly, used to as it always acted up when her nerves were close to being fried worse then an overcooked and blackened french fry. “Aura?” Cullen questioned cautiously as she sighed. 

“Its about to act up.” She told him as he finished his approach to wrap his arms around her in a hug. 

“Breath, Love,” he whispered softly as she tried to relax her body in his embrace, but that didn’t last long as she clenched her left hand into a fist as the Anchor flared causing her to hiss in pain. She felt his embrace tighten and she fought to control the untamable mark on her hand. Once the flare up was over with, she felt Cullen relax his grip and she rested her head on his shoulder with her eyes closing. She felt him rest his cheek against hers and heard him sigh sadly. “I wish there was something I could do for you...” he frowned as she opened her eyes and look into his golden gaze. 

“I know you do but this is something that I must truly deal with alone. No matter how badly you or I wish.” She hated seeing that Cullen felt so helpless when it came to her and the Anchor and secretly it made her wish that all of this could hurry up and finish so the Anchor could take her life as she was sure it would do. _But... am I truly ready to die because of this thing on my hand?_ Aura asked herself as she rested her head on Cullen’s chest just over his heart and closed her eyes again. She once more wondered if she was ready to die and came to a single conclusion: she was not yet going to let herself die, not until her rival (and wannabe god) was put down for all eternity. Then she would allow herself to slip away into whatever oblivion awaited her. “I love you...” she whispered as Cullen gave a gentle squeeze. 

“I love you too,” he replied. He knew she was thinking something but what it was evaded him at this time.


	12. Eleven

Soon enough Aura and the others were back at Skyhold and she was sitting at her desk fighting off sleep, though she was starting to sorely lose that fight. The reason behind why she was losing that fight was because of a nightmare that had suddenly cropped up out of seemingly nowhere. She was resting her head on the fist that her right hand was in and as her eyes closed, it dropped off the fist, startling her awake and she replaced it to the way it had been. This process repeated at least eight more times until finally, she was so far gone into sleep that she didn’t even notice when her head slipped off her hand. She was so deeply asleep that she completely missed Cullen waking up, noticing where she was and carrying her back to bed where he pulled her close as she unconsciously snuggled close to him, allowing him to drop off back into sleep. He had come up to their room for a quick nap (at the insistence of Rylen and a few others) and had discovered her still working on letters to nobles and others. He had asked if she was alright, as he had known about the nightmare though she refused to say a thing about what had taken place in it, and the response she had given him had worried him but she had dismissed him with a wave and continued writing. He had laid down, watched her work for a bit longer, had seen her get up from time to time to pace as she thought over a response to certain letters, had heard her muttering to herself, and had promptly passed out just as she commented on how amazed she was about men and their ability to just pass out whenever they felt the need for it. Aura, herself, struggled to sleep most nights as her mind was on constant overdrive and had found that only certain things like tea, Cullen playing with her hair and overworking herself until she finally laid down, were literally the only things outside of being so badly bored which could put her to sleep. Often when Cullen played with her hair or when she overworked herself, she found that she was less likely to dream of anything and thus, as a consequence, she had started overworking herself as Cullen was often busy with his own things. 

After their nap, Cullen and Aura both went straight back to work, but Aura soon found herself sitting down between two ramparts on the battlements and sighing heavily as she watched the wind blow snow around on the mountain. "A sovereign for your thoughts?" A familiar voice asked as Aura looked to see someone she hadn't seen in a long time come walking up and almost scrambled to stand up. 

"Your Highness!" Aura about fell onto the battlement below her and the person she had called "Your Highness" caught her and helped her to stand. 

"Please don't start with that, Today I am not a prince but a friend," The person smiled as she studied the man with his familiar gold and white armor. 

"Alright, Sebastian," She smiled in return. "What brings you here? And how in the world did I not know you were coming?" She questioned as he let out a laugh. 

"Varric and Hawke," Was the response he gave her as she shook her head.

"Oh those assholes," She couldn't help the laugh that came from her though. "I'll get them for it later, but that still doesn't answer my questions."

"I was told that a certain mutual friend of ours was in need of someone outside of the Inquisition to speak with. As for how I made it into Skyhold without you knowing, well your Spymaster planned that out rather well." Aura shook her head. "How are you Aura?" he asked her with concern as she sighed.

"I wish I could say I was anywhere near okay but I so far from it that I honestly don't know," She sat down once more as he watched her. Out of all her family (aka her friends), Sebastian was the only one who could get her to actually speak her mind as there was something about him that she knew she could trust with her secrets, hidden feelings and other things that the others just couldn't seem to get her to say. They spoke for a bit, with her telling him everything, and he crossed his arms as she finally shook her head. "...I'm not some Herald sent by Andraste, at least I don't feel like it. I'm not a hero, I'm just a woman trying to get on with my life and all this," She waved around them. "It's just..." She sighed heavily, "I was happy just being Aura. Happy with being a former Assassin for hire when it was needed and happy just working on my little farm. All of this, being Inquisitor and all of the bullshit that comes with it, it's honestly not me. I never wanted any of this... But because of this, I'm not even sure if Cullen and I will last..." 

"Aura..." Sebastian walked forward and sat down next to her, causing her to look at him. "So maybe this isn't something you wanted, but I can think of no one better to be Inquisitor."

"You're putting a lot of faith in my ability there Sebastian," Aura frowned as he smiled.

"Because I have faith in you," He told her as she sighed once more, "I've seen your abilities, I've seen you stand up for what you believe in. I've watched you go toe to toe with enemies who would dare to harm those you love and care about. You don't back down in a fight. I've seen you keep promises and vows that most, to include myself, would break and I know you well enough to know that you will not relent against Corypheus and will show him what it means to mess with you."

"Maybe..." 

"What aren't you saying Aura?" Sebastian asked as she looked away from him.

"Its...its the Anchor..." She frowned as he glanced at her left hand. "It's...killing me, very slowly but I can feel it eating away at me." he reached over and grasped her hand firmly between his own two hands. Just by holding her hand he could almost sense the untameable magic and he frowned. 

"Do the others know?" He watched as she shook her head. 

"Cullen and one other have their suspicions but I don't think they know," She informed him as tears threatened to spill from her eyes. She closed her eyes and felt him pull her into a one-armed hug, which tightened at her next words. " _I'm scared, Sebastian..._ "

****

Aura stood on her balcony watching as Sebastian was swarmed by Josephine, and was pretty sure she could safely say that Josephine was a bit thrown off by his sudden appearance as Aura herself had been. Closing her eyes, Aura felt hands rest themselves on her shoulders and smiled. "Are you aware that for a man wearing armor and leather, you are surprisingly quiet when you want to be?" She asked opening her eyes to see Cullen smiling at her as she turned her head towards him. 

"Or maybe you just weren't paying close enough attention." He smiled in return as she felt him kiss her cheek, "When did the Prince of Starkhaven get here?" 

"Apparently early this morning, and Leliana, as well as Hawke, who I need to remind you returned this morning as well, and Varric, managed to "sneak" him in under the noses of the patrols you set up." Cullen sighed at that and she smiled. "So why are you up here bothering me instead of down there barking at the recruits?" She questioned as he looked at her.

"Why have a second in command if I'm not going to use him?" Aura went to respond but thought better of it and shrugged as she saw his point.

"Still doesn't answer my question," She told him as she turned and kissed him before walking back into the room to look over the designs for her old daggers. To say she cherished the Skyrim Daedric dagger look would be an understatement. To her, it was a very fine design which had been well suited to her former needs, and even though she had a pair of daggers that suited her needs now, she yearned for the feel of her formerly beloved weapons. 

“Well...um...I was...” he started as she looked towards him. Sighing he gave up on trying to word it better and told her what was on his mind, “I have some dealings in Ferelden...that I was hoping you would accompany me while I do them?” He watched her study him for a moment. 

“Is something wrong?” 

“What? No! I...was just thinking you might like to go with me.” He wondered if he was being stupid now but the smile she gave told him he had worded his plan perfectly. 

“Well, seeing as how there doesn’t seem to be much happening right now aside from letters from assholes that call themselves nobles. I would love to accompany you.” 

“You would?” He asked in surprise that she had so quickly agreed. She smiled at him again and he felt himself wanting to melt at that look. 

“Of course, we get such little time to ourselves that I would prefer your company to the company of anyone else right now,” She informed him as she turned back to the designs to put them away. 

“Then I will go make the proper arrangements,” he smiled as he walked away though he didn’t miss the fact that she rubbed at her temple on the right side. She had a headache building up and he knew that the sooner they were away from Skyhold, the sooner she could relax and not worry about working so hard.

Cullen walked down the stairs and the moment he entered the main hall he heard Hawke arguing with someone. Stopping in his tracks, Cullen looked to see Sebastian and Hawke speaking to each other and watched as Hawke began to pace. “But the Anchor seems to be fine! Why would she assume it was killing her slowly?!” Hawke growled as he atudied the floor as he paced. 

“Hawke, Aura knows her body better then anyone. She told me she can feel it and when I held her hands I could almost feel the hum it gives off. Haven’t you noticed how much weaker she’s grown?”

Garrett stopped pacing and frowned, “I did think her energy felt a bit...off... but to think it’s actually killing her... No! I refuse to lose another sister!” Garrett growled low in determination. “Especially not one who has been more of a sister to me then what I thought I needed or wanted. I lost Bethany, I _will not_ lose Aura too!” Cullen could feel Hawke’s magic crackling in the air, but then just as fast as it had come it fizzled out and Garrett’s shoulders dropped along with his head as tears stung his eyes. 

“None of us want to lose her,” Sebastian frowned, “But what if there is no way to save her from this?” 

“There has to be someway to save her...” Garrett closed his eyes, feeling the tears burning as he refused to let them fall. Cullen had seen Hawke sad before, but this was a whole new and unknown level of sad that Cullen had never seen from the man. “I refuse to let her die because of some fucked up magic!” Garrett suddenly turned and threw a punch at a wall and Cullen flinched in surprise at this sudden outburst of physical violence from the man. “I will die and go to the void first before I allow her life to be claimed in that way!” Sebastian even seemed surprised at Garrett’s sudden violent mood. 

“But even if there was a way to save her, where would you even start to look?” The question came unbidden from Cullen’s lips as he felt his feet move him to the two men. 

Garrett frowned and looked toward Cullen as he spoke up, “I don’t know, but I have to try and I have to start somewhere. I know I’ve said it about three or four times now But I will not and refuse to lose Aura. If I have even the slimmest of chances to save her, then I will be damned if I don’t and I know you would do no less for her, Cullen.” Garrett looked to his armored fist, which had been the one to smash against the wall, and then looked to the wall to see that he had done some damage to the stone. “I would do anything to see Aura live a full and happy life like she’s always dreamed of. Corypheus or no, Aura will get her happy ending and I will see to it that that wish is fulfilled.” 


	13. Twelve

Aura sighed as she relaxed in the saddle of her horse as best that she could. Cullen had been managing so far to dodge her questions and it was driving her a bit crazy; closing her eyes for a moment, Aura felt the sweep of weariness overtake her and opened her eyes to look towards Cullen who had pulled on the reins of his horse to slow it enough to walk beside hers. "Aura? Are you okay?" he questioned as she smiled towards him.

"I'm fine, just a bit tired is all." She told him as he scanned her weary face. 

"You have been unusually tired lately, Love," he frowned as he removed a bracer and glove to feel her forehead. When he felt that she was not running a fever, he "hmm'ed" to himself and rested his hand on her cheek. "Aura?"

"Yes?"

"What's going on?"

"You'll have to be more specific on that," She reminded him as he chuckled at that.

"Right I keep forgetting you never stop working," he dodged a swipe of her fist and they laughed. 

"Look who's talking, _Commander_ ," She taunted him as he gave her one of his rather infamous smirks, "I can't recall a day where you haven't been busy outside of yesterday and today."

"Your right on that," He conceded to her point as she gave a yawn. He looked to the Horizon and smiled, "We are almost there." He promised her as she wondered what he meant; he glanced at her and smirked again as he noted the signs of her curiosity, which to him was probably one of the most adorable things about her. He studied her for a moment and noted the little head tilt she usually had when her curiosity was sparked, her eyes seemed to shine with her wonder and he could almost swear that had she been a canine of some sort her ears would have perked as she tried to evaluate what he meant by his words. He returned his gaze to the road ahead and heard her sigh as she leaned forward to pat her horse's neck as the beast huffed gently in response to her mistress's hand. Unlike Cullen's Warhorse (which was a proud stallion born and bred of the Amaranthine Charger horses), Aura's mare was a beautiful Frostback Mountain Horse, which seemed to fit Aura well as both she and the mare seemed to have something still untamed about them and like moths to the others flames, rider and mount had paired well together. After a couple of more hours of riding, they reached the area where Cullen helped her to dismount. “Come with me,” he told her after their horses were tied up. Frowning she followed him and soon the thud of their footfall could be heard on a wooden dock. At first, she couldn’t grasp the concept of where they were until Cullen told her the words that trigged a memory that seemed so distant now. 

She was in awe of the lake below and around her. To say it was breathtaking would be an understatement and some tiny part of Aura felt as if she was invading a piece of Cullen’s past. She felt as if this was sacred ground and that she had no right to be here. She and Cullen spoke, then she turned to him as he approached her, he tried to give her something “for luck” but she turned it down reminding him that his luck still needed to be kept. “So long as I have you, I have all the luck in the world.” She whispered as he smiled down at her before kissing her gently; It would be shortly after they spent a few more moments on the dock before Cullen would set up their tent while Aura cooked a meal for them, which was something he looked forward to like a child eager for something sweet. While he didn't mind the cooking of the chefs in Skyhold, there was something about the way Aura made her meals that he preferred her cooking to the chef's cooking. After the tent was set up, and after they had eaten, they dressed for sleep and Aura would find herself snuggled close to Cullen in his protective embrace. They had discovered that by being able to sleep next to her, Cullen's nightmares were seemingly non-existent as if feeling the need to protect what was his, drove both the nightmares and the demons away. Aura, on the other hand, was more frequently finding herself back at the place where Solona had met her for the first time in the Fade sometime ago and as she sat there, upon the boulder, she partially wondered why. 

"This place is beautiful," A masculine voice started up as Aura looked to see the man from Kirkwall that she had gotten her house key from. 

"You're here! But how?" Aura scrambled to stand up and he chuckled. "Are you a...a mage?"

"My wife is," He told her as he walked over to her and kissed her forehead. "She's been worried about you."

"I know and I am sorry that I haven't written outside of that one letter...I've been so busy..."

"We know," A feminine voice spoke as the man's wife came walking into the glade. "Tales of your adventures have reached us even in a broken city like Kirkwall." She and Aura hugged. For whatever reason Aura could not explain when she was around these two, she felt as if a few missing pieces of her fucked up puzzle of a life had been returned and had fallen into the proper places. "You've been so busy we decided to try and find you in the Fade to ask you something."

"Ask me something?" Aura looked confused as they pulled away.

"Aye," The man replied, "We wanted to see if you would like us to visit Skyhold."

"I would love for you to visit!" She couldn't help the smile then, "I could show you around and we could-!"

"Whoa slow down there, pup," The man smiled at her enthusiasm. "There is something that we must discuss first when we do visit."

"What do you mean?" Aura asked slightly confused now as the man sighed.

"There is something I should have told you five years ago, but for now let us not ruin this beautiful place with sadness. Tell us about it," he offered as she smiled and told them what she could of the glade they were in. They helped her to figure out how to change it a bit so there were trees that made natural swinging benches for them to sit upon as they talked. Eventually, though the two left with the promise to visit Skyhold as soon as possible, Aura awoke feeling more rested then she had in days and it showed in not only her step but on her face as well.

Cullen wanted to question what had her in such a good mood, but since this was rare for him to see nowadays he didn't dare, "They visited you in the Fade?" He asked as he worked on saddling his stallion while listening to Aura explain.

"Apparently this whole time his wife was a mage and I didn't know it," She informed him as he thought that over.

"I had a suspicion she was, but I could see the way they treated you and with their age I didn't dare say anything to Meredith about it."

Aura looked to him then, "What's this? The former Knight-Captain of the Former Kirkwall circle suspected an apostate and did nothing about it?" She was teasing him and he flashed her a smirk, "You have lost your way."

He laughed at that, "Maybe." Aura smiled as she hopped up into the saddle of her mare who snorted in amusement at the conversation her mistress was having; Cullen followed suit and was soon in the saddle upon his stallion and the two turned the horses away from that area and began to walk away from that area. "But if I've lost my way, it would be because you made losing it worth it." Aura felt a slight blush creep up on her at that moment and tried not to bit her lip. She felt his hand touching her cheek and looked up at him, he leaned over and they kissed, "I love you, Aura." He told her as she met his amber eyes. 

"I love you too Cullen, no matter what." Aura told him as he pulled away with a gentle smile. 

****

Aura was speaking to Josephine as they waited outside for Aura's invited guests to arrive. She was antsy and eager to see the two people who had been like parents to her (with the patience to match). Josephine was interested in meeting these two despite them not being nobles. As the women talked, Cullen watched Aura carefully as Hawke walked up to him. "So they were apostates?"

"Yes, Aura confirmed it when we were coming back." Cullen replied as Garrett looked towards the woman who he would kill to protect and, on several occasions, had killed to protect.

"Are you aware that she shares some physical traits of that old man?"

"What?"

"So I take that as a no?"

"How could she share traits with him? Aura is from a whole other world!"

"Cullen, stranger things have happened," Garrett reminded the man who groaned at that. 

"That is true," he studied Aura closely as someone called out about riders approaching. She was walking to greet the two who stopped just inside the gates. She greeted them warmly, as she was known to do with anyone she favored, and then they hugged each other and that's when Cullen saw it. The older man and Aura _did_ share some physical traits and suddenly Cullen became suspicious of just _who_ exactly this older man was. Suddenly Sebastian appeared next to them and frowned. 

"I recognize that man," He frowned as Garrett and Cullen looked to him. "He was a noble in Starkhaven for a time, but vanished just before the Blight began." 

"Do you know his name?" Garrett asked as Sebastian wracked his brain for a moment.

"His name is..."


	14. Thirteen

Aura guided the two elders around Skyhold and both beamed with pride at her as she explained everything, "And this is the War room. Probably my least favorite place  outside of sitting on the throne." Aura told them as they smiled. 

"No one enjoys sitting on a throne or giving orders for war child." The man smiled, "but call your husband and three of your friends here if you will. I think its time to tell you what I should have long ago like I promised I would." He told her as she sent for Cullen, and to inform Sebastian, Garrett and (not surprisingly) Varric to come as well as something told her that those three needed to hear this for themselves. Once they were present in the war room, the same question on all their faces, the man sighed heavily. "Aura, there is something I must tell you and there is a reason I had you call your beloved and your friends here."

"Why am I getting the feeling I'm not going to like what you're about to say?" Aura questioned as he looked away.

Then the man's wife spoke up, "You may not, but trust me when I say this Aura, there is a reason Brion has kept this from you for so long." Aura looked to the older woman then to the man whose name was Brion and he told her everything. 

"...But, after your mother fled with you through the eluvian, I knew that you would be safe." He looked towards her and could sense the turmoil running its course through her and so wisely chose to say nothing. 

She wasn't exactly sure how to react to his words, to his confession. Part of her wanted to go off on him while another part of her was beyond thrilled to discover that she had family here in Thedas, but she kept herself silent allowing the words to fully grasp her before speaking, "So all this time... You were my...?"

"Yes."

"Why did you not tell me sooner?" Aura asked looking up at him as he looked into her blue eyes with its green flecks. 

"Because I thought you weren't ready to know when in truth I wasn't ready to tell you."

 _He fears I will reject him,_ Aura thought for a moment before sighing and leaning against Cullen who was now holding her in his arms. "I..." Aura closed her eyes for a heartbeat or two. "I'm not exactly happy that this was kept from me by both my mother and you, but I honestly don't blame you either as I am sure that you kept this from me for a very good reason." That had Brion looking towards her with a bit of surprise, as well as the others. 

"You're not mad at me?"

"Oh I'm mad," Aura told him as she removed herself from Cullen's embrace, which he let her go willingly. "I'm just not going to act like a five-year-old about it as I'm getting too old to act that way." She told him with a smile, "Besides the way I see it, this gives you ample opportunity to make up for those lost years." the man laughed at that. 

"Then I will try to make up for everything I missed." He smiled as she, then he frowned. "This also means that I and Juliana will have to take you to met your grandfather's clan."

"Clan?" Aura asked tilting her head as the others frowned as well. 

"Aura," the woman, Juliana, started as all eyes turned to her, "You're part Avvar."

"WHAT?!"

****

Brion, Juliana, and Varric all sat outside at Varric's usual table that he like to haunt and Varric looked to Brion who was frowning, Aura had been calm until the point of Juliana pointing out that she had an Avvarian ancestor then she had lost it and now Hawke, Sebastian, and Cullen were trying to calm her down, while Varric sat with her father and step-mother. "So she's Avvarian?"

"Part," Brion informed the dwarf. "My father was an Avvar, and while I was welcomed by the clan despite me being a "lowlander" I'm not sure how well they will take to Aura."

"Does your father still live?" Juliana asked as Brion looked to her.

"The last I heard he was Thane of the Hold of his clan. I just don't understand why she reacted like she did."

"We've run into a lot of not so friendly Avvar since this whole adventure started. She's not reacting because she's part Avvar, but rather reacting to the fact that while it was hidden, an Avvar man met her and had hinted at her being Avvar without knowing it."

"That would explain it," Juliana said as Garrett came walking out of the war room. 

"How is she now, Hawke?"

"Calmer now but I would give her some time to absorb everything you told her," Garrett looked to Brion. "So you're half-Avvar, and a noble of Starkhaven?"

"You know?"

"Sebastian is Prince of Starkhaven, how could I not know?"

"Wait Aura is friends with the last Prince of Starkhaven?" Juliana questioned.

Garrett nodded, "I am the Champion of Kirkwall and my cousin Solona is the Warden-Commander of Ferelden's Grey Wardens."

"Maker!" Brion's eyes went wide. "Is she friends with everyone out there?"

"Not yet thankfully." Aura said as she came walking out of the war room hand in hand with Cullen as Sebastian followed, "I can barely stand the nobility that I do interact with on a daily bases with letters, therefore, I am happy with those friends I call family now." A few more words were exchanged between them before Aura asked for some more time to think all of this over and Brion and Juliana agreed before each left the Main hall for their respectable rooms.


	15. Fourteen

Aura stood on her balcony looking out over the mountains and was deeply contemplating something when she felt Cullen come walking up and place his hands on her shoulders. "What are you thinking of, Aura?"

"Probably too much for my own good. But I doubt you'd want to hear what is running through my mind."

"Tell me anyway," He urged her as she sighed. 

"I'm just wondering how all this could have been...different."

"Different how?"

"Different as in a shit ton of what-ifs. Like what if Alistair had not sacrificed himself? What if I hadn't miscarried?" Aura shook her head, "The biggest what if though is one I wonder the most about," She freed herself of his hands and walked towards the stone railing and placed her hands upon it.

"And what is that one?" Cullen asked as he went to stand beside her. He knew this melancholy mood from her all too well and took her left hand into his right one and their fingers entwined together. She was overthinking things again, and Cullen, like every other time, would softly talk her out of this mood.

"What if I hadn't gone to nor survived the Conclave?" That had Cullen's heart wrench in his chest. Several times, in his own mind alone, had similar questions appeared, but each time he would shove those thoughts aside but now having actually heard the questions come from Aura, the same questions snaked their way back into his thoughts.

 _What if she hadn't gone to the Conclave at all? What if she had not survived the explosion that had set them on this path now?_ Shaking away those thoughts, Cullen reached over and lifted her head up with a gentle hand and looked into her eyes. "I think I can answer all of those, though the very last one I don't want to think of at all." He told her softly as she watched him with intrigue, "that first one: If Alistair had not sacrificed himself, he would be king and you his queen, and I am sure you would also be carrying another child from him that you would have roped me into helping surprise him with the news of." Aura smiled at that. She could honestly see herself doing that and watching him, along with Cullen, standing there with his thoughts scrambling to right themselves as it would hit him. "The Second: Had you not miscarried, I would have happily helped you in some form or another, raise the little one up."

"And most likely would have been a bigger pain in my ass then you are now," Aura muttered as he tried, and majestically failed, to not smirk.

"I would have been a helpful pain in the ass," he told her as he dodged a swipe of Aura's hand.

"Helpful my ass!" She laughed as he chuckled, "Knowing you? You would have spoiled the little one rotten!"

"There is that too," he smiled, "I most likely would have also sent her home to you after giving her sweets."

"Oh I would have killed you," Cullen laughed as she smiled. He didn't need to answer the third or last what-ifs as they both could guess what they would have done. The Third what-if would have still had them joining up with the Inquisition, with Aura most likely adventuring around with whoever the Herald would have been or doing jobs for Leliana while Cullen remained behind to yell and snap at the troops. The Last what if was a topic neither of them wanted to touch on as that was a worst case scenario that neither were willing to think about the fact that she had been very close to death's door. "I love you," She told him as he leaned forward and kissed her. 

"I love you too," he told her after she pulled away. 

"you know I have been thinking."

"You do seem to do that a lot," He smirked as she shot him a look that should've killed him then and there.

"Asshat," She said as she looked back over the mountains as he freed his hand from hers and wrapped her into his arms. "No, what I have been thinking about is what I am hoping for after all this is over and done with."

"Oh?" He asked with mild curiosity.

"What I am hoping for is the chance for us to leave this all behind, maybe find a place out in the country, get a couple of Mabari, and try to start our own little family."

Cullen thought that over and smiled, "I think that would be the perfect ending to this adventure." 

Aura said nothing but just let him hold her as she relaxed into his embrace. To her, that would be the ultimate happy ending, but something nagged at her in the back of her mind telling her that it would be sometime before that dream would become a reality. _I've waited this long, I can wait a bit longer._

**** 

Aura heard laughter and looked to see Garrett hoisting his wife, Merrill, up and spinning her around. At Aura's insistence, he had sent for Merrill to be brought to Skyhold as the man was intent on staying here until the end of all "this bullshit" and as Aura watched the couple she couldn't help the smile on her face. "I don't think I have ever seen that man as happy as he is now," Varric came walking up as Aura looked to Varric who had been the one to speak. 

"Wouldn't you be happy too if you were in his position? Merrill is back in his arms, and she's carrying his son or daughter."

"What?!" Varric turned to Aura who smiled as she watched the joyous reunion of husband and wife. "So he's...?"

"Yes, Garrett is going to be a daddy, which I guess would make you the child's uncle in a way." Varric looked to Garrett who was damn near running up to Aura who was surprised as he captured Aura in a massive bear hug. "Garrett! Can't breath!"

"Sorry," Garrett apologized quickly as he let up on the hug. "I'm going to be a father!"

"Yes we know brother," Aura smiled warmly to the man who was beyond thrilled. 

"Aura! Do you know what this means for you?" Garrett asked as she raised a brow, "It means you're going to be an Aunt."

"And Carver is going to be an uncle." Aura smiled as Garrett suddenly thought of it.

"Shit! I need to write to him to tell him!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down, Hawke." She smiled as he looked at her, "There will be plenty of time for that, right now you have a wife you need to spend time with." She reminded him as he gave her another hug and ran off back to Merrill who he took to their room immediately. "I swear...the Human men from Ferelden are nothing more than overgrown Mabari on two legs." Aura smiled as Varric laughed with merriment. 

"What does that make Curly? Isn't he from Ferelden too?"

"Eh, compared to how Garrett is, Cullen is rather...tame." Aura smiled as she looked over to where Cullen stood looking around. It seemed to be that whenever Aura spoke of him, he would end up looking around as he was somehow able to sense when she was talking about him. Before she could call out to him, however, a scout came racing up to her completely out of breath and spoke the words that Aura was not going to like. 

"Sister Leliana sent me to get you, Inquisitor! There is trouble with the Lyrium mines!" 

"Shit!"


	16. Fifteen

Aura frowned as she, Varric, Dorian, and Bull walked onto the platform that served as an elevator of sorts. Once it started it descent someone spoke and all eyes turned to the speaker. "This reminds me of a story," Varric started as Aura looked to him. 

"Shocking," Aura frowned. 

"It's about an impossibly handsome dwarf and his friend who got crowned King of the Nugs."

"A nug king, really?" Aura asked not so amused as Varric sighed and shook his head.

"It's not as good as it sounds. Nugs mostly just shit on the floor and roll in it." He then smiled sweetly at her, "Welcome to the Deep Roads." Before Aura could retort Dorian spoke.

"Is it me or is this the slowest lift ever constructed?"

"Would you rather climb down?"

"I could do with some music. Something with a flute." Aura only shook her head and sighed, then looked to Bull who was looking around as he spoke.

"So, the Deep Roads. Do you think there'll be tight spaces? Long Hallways with low ceilings?"

"Bull, I've been down in the Deep Roads before. A dragon could fit into them and still not hit their head," Aura chuckled softly. "Oh wait, I keep forgetting about the ten-years dead Archdemon who _WAS_ a dragon."

"That means my horns will fit?"

"Yes Bull, that means your horns will fit." Suddenly her attention was captured and Aura felt her breath leave her. Despite the fact that the giant hole above them was the cause of this sight she saw, she found it amazing to be back in someplace she had never thought to return to and looked around. "If someone would have told me that I would eventually come back this way I never would've believed them." She spoke to no one in particular as she felt the lift finally come to a stop. A few words were exchanged between Aura and the one named Valta before Valta lunged at Aura knocking her back as a large boulder fell. Soon after they began to hunt down the members of the Legion of the Dead, the first enemy they came across was one of Aura's least favorite creatures. 

"An Ogre!" Valta called out as Aura said some rather colorful words.

"I hate the Deep Roads!" Varric said as Aura vanished from sight. Battle with the creature lasted a while but once it was done Aura shivered.

"You have my gratitude," Valta told Aura as Aura smiled at her. 

"Just returning the favor." 

"If the Ogre reached this point, The Legion must be overwhelmed. Let us hurry." 

"Agreed," Aura frowned as they took off. When they reached where the Legion was at Aura and the four following her immediately set upon the Darkspawn with a fury the creatures were not expecting. After the creatures were dead, and the charges had been primed and the seal collapsed, did Aura set up a small camp. She spoke with the leader of this particular band of Legion members. _Oh boy, this is going to be fun,_ She thought sarcastically.

****

Aura looked towards the one named Renn as she had come to discover his name was. "You kill darkspawn like you've been doing it your whole life, Inquisitor."

Valta spoke now, "He means that as a compliment."

"I am a friend of several Grey Wardens and the former lover of one, I also fought during the fifth Blight at the side of my former lover and another Grey Warden."

"What happened to your lover?"

"He died slaying the Archdemon." Aura said as Renn looked her over real quick. 

"Wait, you were the lover of that Grey Warden?"

"Yes," Aura looked to him.

"Well, that makes you even more famous, well to me. Tell me is it true that you killed a dragon?"

"You haven't _lived_ 'til you've felt their wings pulling you in..." Aura trailed off as she remembered her first dragon kill, she heard Bull chuckle and knew he was remembering the thrill that had been written on her face.

"I can't even imagine! Tell me about their teeth," Renn smiled at the thought. "I've heard they don't all breath fire, and their scales have different colors and patterns!" 

Valta smiled at him then, "Careful, Renn. I believe your drooling." 

Aura looked to Renn and smiled as she launched into the tale of what it was like to fight a dragon, while they traveled and when they weren't fighting of course, and Renn hung onto her every word like a child listening to their grandfather weaving a tale of when he was young and at war. "Maker's hairy balls!" Aura said as they eventually came to a huge room with another lift after killing more darkspawn. Aura walked to the edge near the lift and looked down into the ebony abyss, they spoke a bit longer then they stepped onto the lift and down they went. Aura felt oddly strange the further they went but for the most part ignored the feeling until they touched rock bottom, literally. "This place feels... strange." Aura spoke as Valta looked to her questioningly. 

"Strange?"

"I have... a seventh sense... of sorts."

"Seventh sense?"

"It's a long story but my senses are better than most normal humans, I have the "sixth" sense but also a sense not seen in other humans," Aura told her as they looked around, "Let's continue on our way." 

****

Aura's jaw dropped as she saw looked around her, "By all that is Holy..." She whispered as Dorian spoke.

"Look at that. Like stars at night."

"All these lyrium veins. And they're completely untapped!" Valta gasped in amazement. Eventually, they managed to pass through the area, Valta made some speculations on why the Darkspawn couldn't be found here and more combat was to be had. Soon enough they crossed paths with an Arcane Horror, slaughtered it mercilessly, and continued on their not-so-merry way. They eventually came to a huge clearing that looked to be outside yet it wasn't. "Did the Sha-Brytol build all this?"

"Or was it here before them?" Aura questioned as the migraine she had felt building up suddenly vanished, and a thought, a voice, not her own came whispering softly, softer then what a normal whisper could be. 

_This is the Wellspring..._

"Huh?" Aura looked around for the source of the voice but there was no one outside of her little group and the chirping birds. _Who or what was that?_ Aura shook her head. Valta pointed out the source of what they had been following but seemed discouraged when there was no Titan. "Hang on," Aura started as another whisper reached her, "Ever since we came here, the Deep Roads have felt _different_. Organic. Alive...in some sense of the word... Maybe we have been looking for the Titan in the wrong way? It surely can't be like you or me." Aura contemplated as she thought it over.

"It's huge. Big enough to change the world around it..." Valta frowned as she wondered what Aura was trying to get at until the realization almost physically slapped Aura in the face as the whisper came back to her.

_Inside..._

"We can't see the Titan..." Aura smiled suddenly at the thought. "Because we are **_inside_** of it." Suddenly Aura was like a five-year-old girl in a candy store after being told to take all the candy she wanted. Theories blew up in her mind as it raced from one thought to the next about this whole thing.

But then the whispering voice came back, _Calm..._ It urged her as she felt her racing mind suddenly slow down and a seemingly gentle calm washed over her. More fighting ensued, more speculations came about as they saw buildings and pathways carved from the pillars of stone and one thing captured their attention the most. Valta's theory on what lyrium really was. 

 _Well...shit, if Lyrium is the titan's blood then some little part of me is glad Cullen is no longer taking it._ Aura thought before the voice returned.

_You are part..._

_Part? Part of what?_ Aura questioned the voice but no response came to her and she felt the frustration she always felt at its silence. _I think it's time to talk to Solas about whatever the hell is going on...if I remember._ Sadly Aura would completely forget about the strange voice upon her return to Skyhold with Varric, Dorian and Bull.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact of the day, or night:  
> The Sixth Sense is the "power of perception like but not one of the five senses: a keen intuitive power" (Merriam-Webster dictionary).
> 
> Aura has the Sixth sense and is very in tune with it, but her "Seventh Sense" is an unnamed "sense" or ability that she relies on but cannot name what all it does or why she has it or even why she is the only one who can call upon it or have it "activate" when she least expects it which then results in a migraine for Aura and a voice whispering to her. This Seventh sense is NOT linked to the Anchor nor to lyrium nor to the Fade or demons or spirits, but she was born with it. Post your speculation below of what this sense could possibly be and what it should be called in the comments below (I do enjoy reading comments! Especially since they keep me going!)


	17. Sixteen

Aura swatted at a rather large mosquito and grumbled something about them being "bloodsucking demons" under her breath. She heard Solas chuckle and shot a glare his way. "Why would that ugly sonofabitch need an eluvian?" Aura questioned as she heard Morrigan snicker and honestly did an about-face and slapped her, but held back and continued pressing forward. They had arrived only a day ago into the Arbor Wilds, and already as the Inquisition and the forces united with it were hounding and maiming Corypheus's "army" like they were nothing. As they continued to the temple, Aura kept one thing in her mind and one thing only. It was the fact that soon this rivalry between her and the wannabe "god" was coming to a close and soon she would be able to close all remaining rifts and throw in the towel of being Inquisitor. I'm getting too damn old for this shit. Aura thought as they made their way through the temple, fought with Samson and continued on the path to both the Eluvian and what appeared to be a well. Everything that happened between arriving at the well and the sudden fact that Aura found herself "flying" through the Eluvian back to the one in Skyhold after being dragged through by Morrigan was all a big ass blur. Suddenly as she realized where she was, she threw herself into her work and lost track of time completely until strong arms wrapped around her and snapped her out of her stupor. "Cullen?"

"Leliana sent word of how you arrived back here," he said as he noticed how tired she looked. "Aura have you slept?"

"No?" She questioned in a manner that spoke of her befuddled state of mind. This made him worry and just as she went to move to her desk, Cullen reached out and gripped her upper arm carefully.

"Aura what is today?"

"Date or day?" She returned as he sighed. 

"Day."

"Sunday?" that caused another red flag to join the one that was already raised in his mind.

"Aura, today is Tuesday."

"it is?"

Sighing heavily he pointed to the bed, "Aura you need to sleep. Get dressed for bed and I will join you in a minute."

"Cullen, I'm fine!" Aura tried to argue with him but he wasn't having any of it, and suddenly used a tactic he had used on her only once before. 

"Fine but..." he looked away from her and she watched him.

"What Cullen?"

"Nothing, I was mistaken you do seem fine." He said as he walked away and went into the bathroom leaving a very confused Aura standing in the middle of the room. 

"Ahhh... What just happened?" Aura asked herself before turning to her desk and setting the papers she was holding down. She heard the bathwater running and figured he was taking a bath, (Secretly Aura was beyond glad that Josephine had hired on some dwarven metalworkers to install pipes for the private baths but Aura found that more often then not she was likely to use the bath areas as there was nothing like sharing a bath with Josephine and Leliana and talk about nothing in particular). Aura herself had taken a bath only a few hours ago and now she looked to the bed and sighed. _A nap probably won't kill me._ She thought as she walked over to her dresser, yanked out some pajama pants and one of Cullen's old shirts that she tended to sleep in when the man was being stubborn and was working late into the night, changed into them as she discarded her breastband to send it flying to where her own daytime outfit was haphazardly thrown onto the chair near her desk and, crawling into their bed, Aura soon found herself passed out. 

Cullen, for his part, came walking out of the bathroom, with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist and smirked as he saw that his tactic had worked. He then noticed that she was wearing one of his old shirts and the smirk turned into a warm smile. He went to his dresser, pulled out a pair of pajama bottoms of his own, put them on, and made his way to the bed where he lay down next to Aura. He took the covers that were at the end of the bed, pulled them up onto both of them and pulled Aura close to him where she sighed rather contentedly. Smiling, Cullen rested his head on his pillow and the moment his eyes closed he dropped off into sleep. He was asleep for a good five hours when something woke him. Opening his eyes he looked around for the source, saw that Aura was still dead to the world next to him, but continued to look around until a rumble of thunder captured his attention and smiled to himself. A storm had woken him and he looked to his beloved, she would sleep better if he opened the doors to the balcony and so managing to slip away, he stood and opened the doors just as the rain started to fall. He made sure the doors had wooden stops in front of them and tied back the drapes and smiled once more as a rumble of thunder went rolling by. Returning to their bed he lay back down and listened to the sounds of the rain and thunder with a slight sigh before looking to Aura and playing with her hair. She made a small noise but he wasn’t concerned by it as she often made that noise when he played with her hair; he pulled her closer to him, resting her torso and head on his chest and shoulder and again she made a small nose. Closing his eyes once more he let the sound of the rain carry him away with its rumbling thunder and fresh clean scent. But as he started to nod off the memory of when he had still been a Templar and had gone running through the piss pouring rain to reach her doorstep came floating back to him and he smirked. He dreamt of that day, of how gentle her touch had been as she helped him to dry off, how he had suddenly had the impulse to pull her into his lap and hold her as he nuzzled against her neck and had acted on it as she gave a gentle chuckle and had held him. How she had nagged at him like an old nanny for running to her house in the middle of a rainstorm but had been unable to keep the smile from her face as she scolded him. And as he continued to dream of that day some little part of him finally realized that that had been the day he had truly leapt off the edge and had fallen in love with Aura. She was in some sense of the word, his lifeline. She was his saving grace, the one who had saved him while he was saving her and now as they slept together in their bed, he and Aura both knew they were complete.

While he dreamed of that fateful day, Aura was dreaming of the day she had fallen head over heels for him. It had been a particularly bad day for her due to a rather violent nightmare that had ended with her crying at her former kitchen table when he had entered. He had seen her sitting there, hadn’t even bothered to ask her what was wrong and had scooped her up, taken her to the living room and had just held her as she cried out her frustrations until finally, she had no more tears. He had refused to let her do anything but sit and calm down while he had made dinner (despite her many protests) and once they had eaten he had wrapped an arm around her shoulders as she curled up in a ball next to him and just like she was now, she had fallen asleep in his protective embrace. She had awoken when he went to carry her to bed, had tried to protest, but he had said the words that had smashed the barrier to her heart and had opened her up to loving him. He had told her that even she deserved to be given a break and allowed to have breakdowns every once in a while too. That he didn’t care if she cried and stained his shirt with her tears was something that had secretly started earning him his place at her side as before him, even before Alistair, she had never truly known the gentle care that a true man was supposed to show the love of his life who was also his best friend and now Aura was glad for Cullen’s patience with her even if they were the other’s pain in the ass. Neither would trade the memories for anything. Subconsciously she heard the rain and rolling thunder, but as she lay there, snuggled against the man she loved, the world just didn't seem to exist at that moment.


	18. Seventeen

"Oh for fuck's sake!" Aura snarled as the Anchor flared to life the moment the breach in the sky was ripped open again. "He waited for an entire fucking month to pass before tearing the sky open again?!" 

Cullen turned to her now his worry clearly written on his face, "Aura, we don't have the forces to send with you."

Aura looked to her beloved with a frown, "I don't need the army. Right now I need to go close that damn hole and send Corypheus back to the void itself, where he belongs." The moment she said that she left the war room, went racing down to the stables with all of her companions in tow and they left Skyhold and headed towards the former Temple where an all-out battle was soon to ensue and all Cullen could do was watch her leave.

The moment Aura arrived, Corypheus spoke like the windbag he was. "I knew you would come," Corypheus told Aura in a rather snarky tone of voice as her eyes burned with her anger.

"It ends here, Corypheus!" Aura snarled at him. Some words where exchanged, he caused them to start floating in the air and suddenly as Corypheus's dragon prepared to lunge at her, Morrigan came flying out of seemingly nowhere and the battle of her versus the Red Lyrium dragon ensued. Once that was done, Aura went to kill the beast. Then she went after Corypheus himself, _by_ ** _herself_**. She and the former magister dueled it out until she activated the mark and stood while he screeched.

"Not like this! I have walked the halls of the Golden City, crossed the ages..." He was struggling with the artifact in his hands as Aura stood, her blue irises now glowing the same green color as the Anchor's magic. "Dumat! Ancient Ones! I beseech you!" He continued to struggle and screech as Aura called for the orb to fly to her grasp, "If you exist-if you ever existed-Aid me now!" But he lost the orb as it flew to Aura's hand making sure to hit him in the face. 

Aura studied the orb for a moment then looked skyward to the breach. Time to end this, once and for all! She thrust the orb skyward and poured all of the Anchor's gathered up power into it as it shot up like a bullet whizzing towards its intended target. She focused on sealing the breach forever and turned to Corypheus as the breach began to close. "I warned you Corypheus." She started as she approached him, "Now you will learn what it means to have me as an enemy. You fucked with those who are **_MINE!_** " She snarled, "You caused the deaths of _countless_ people! _Corrupted_ hundreds of Templars! Almost caused the _annihilation_  of the Grey Warden Order! And _almost_ caused the death of the man I love! You wanted into the Fade?" Aura stretched out her hand and ripped opened a rift within Corypheus as her now green eyes blazed, " ** _YOU SHALL HAVE IT!_** " She roared at him before he vanished as she slammed the rift closed. 

"Hang on to something!" She heard Dorian shout, "We are going down!" But Aura didn't hear him as she felt herself pass out while just narrowly being missed by debris.

When she awoke, Solas spoke with her, before Cassandra's voice reached her. After Aura went to where they waited, Morrigan spoke and Aura looked skyward to see that what Morrigan was saying was true. _Well shit...look at that, it's an aurora_. "Looks that way," Aura nodded as she turned her gaze to her companions, her _family_ , and smiled. 

"What do we do now?" Cassandra asked as Aura looked towards her.

"We go back to Skyhold." She told them as she approached them and passed them.

****

Cullen walked out with the other two Advisors to see Aura walking onto Skyhold's grounds. The people were cheering as she and her companions and he forced himself to stand in place as he watched her make her approach. After the proper motions where made, He stepped forward and pulled her into his arms, smiles on both their faces. But eventually Leliana asked to speak with Aura and he watched as she walked away. He watched her go but then realized something, her eyes were fully blue again which proved his theory on the green that had been in there had been a side effect of the Breach and the Anchor. He eventually went inside where a party was going on and turned to Aura as she approached him, "Am I imagining it, or do we have a moment to breathe?" He asked as she smiled warmly towards him. 

"You're not imagining it, my love," Aura told him as he chuckled softly. They spoke a bit longer before he let her disappear into the crowd to "mingle", though he kept his eye on her. He watched as Hawke lifted her up in a bear hug before putting her down, saw her laughing and smiling at whatever the man said; watched her hug Merrill very carefully, which Cullen frowned at until he remembered that Merrill was with child; saw her leave the two to speak with the others and knew that she was soon about to head up to their room and began making his way there. He heard Leliana and Aura talking about the tiny cakes and shook his head. Aura rarely indulged herself with sweets but he figured she would allow herself to have some tonight. What he didn't know was that Aura was keeping a " _small"_ secret from him. When they both finally escaped the party, he was swift to remove his armor then approached Aura and hugged her as she leaned back against him. "it's almost hard to believe that I'm no longer in a grudge match with a wannabe god."

Cullen smiled softly, "I am glad that its over."

"That adventure is over, but you and I will have a new one starting in say, oh...about seven more months."

"Why do you say...?" She smiled as she watched it slowly dawn on him. "Are you?"

Aura turned around and rested her arms on his shoulders, "That took you a minute. The baby is fine by the way. Dorian made sure to check on him after the battle." She watched as Cullen smiled and felt him scoop her up, spin both himself and her in a circle and then they kissed as he laughed. 


	19. Eighteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have some Mommy Aura and Daddy Cullen with their baby. Lots o' fluff and a time skip in this one.

Aura was leaning against the wall, arms crossed and smiling as she watched her husband play with their now five-month-old son who was giggling to no end. Aura's father came walking up to her and smiled, "Never would have thought to ever see myself live to have seen you married nor live long enough to have a grandson."

Aura looked at her father and smiled tenderly, "Well you did Papa," She told him as he nodded, "You also lived long enough to see me kick the everliving dog shit out of a wannabe god." 

"That I did, baby girl, that I did." He smiled as he watched Cullen and the baby play. "That man certainly has to be the happiest man alive."

"Cullen certain does seem that way. He's taken to fatherhood and enjoys every moment of it," Aura shook her head. "It may seem selfish of me, but I am extremely glad he gave up lyrium completely."

"It's not selfish to want your child to grow up with his father in his life," Her own father smiled as he turned to her, then he looked back at Cullen and the little boy who he lifted into the air as the child squealed in delight. "So you named him after your former lover?"

"Cullen and Alistair were good friends before I came into the picture, plus it was Cullen who named him, not me. I was too worn out from the labor and threatening him during the labor to really think of any names."

"What threats did you give to him?"

"Something along the lines of how I will castrate him, he would never get sex again. You know the normal threats a woman is likely to snap at the father to the child they are giving birth to." Aura smiled as Cullen and their son continued to ignore the presence of her and her father, who chuckled softly at the sight before him.

"Ah well, I came to say goodbye and was distracted. Your step-mother is going to kill me."

"Your leaving?" Aura turned to him as he nodded.

"Aye, it's long past time Juliana and I headed back home," He told her as she frowned. She then hugged him and he returned it. "I'm so proud of you baby girl. But next time: don't go and challenge a god, wannabe or not."

"I won't daddy." She promised as he squeezed her close. 

They pulled away and the man spoke a bit louder now, "And remind my son-in-law to keep you out of trouble."

Aura laughed at that as Cullen picked up his son and walked over to the two, Aura taking Alistair from him as both men clasped arms. "I can't promise that, but I will certainly try," Cullen told the older man who nodded. 

"Long as she isn't challenging any more gods, we'll be just fine." Brion nodded to Cullen before turning to Alistair, "And you little fella," He took the boy from Aura who smiled as the older man felt the child pulling on his beard. "You behave for your mommy and daddy." He kissed the boy's forehead and Alistair gave a delighted giggle as his beard tickled the boy. Handing him back to Aura they followed the man out so Juliana could give her love to both Aura and Cullen as well as kiss Alistair on the nose. Once they had left, Alistair had started to get fussy and Aura went to put him down for a nap with Cullen following so he could put on his armor. 

"You do know that our son is the spitting image of you right?" Aura asked Cullen looked to her.

"I don't see how," He frowned as she looked from him to their son. 

"Really? You can't see it at all? You can't see the locks of blonde hair that are starting to curl or the amber-gold color of his eyes." She asked as he smiled at her. 

"When I look at him I see you in him."

Aura groaned and shook her head, "Cullen, _EVERYONE_ who knows us sees him as a miniature you. In fact, it honestly wouldn't surprise me if he took after you completely."

"Maker I hope not!" Cullen said as he shook his head. "That would mean he would eventually want to be a Templar and I-!"

"And I have a solution to that," Aura walked over to him and kissed him as he finished with putting on his armor. "I have already talked to Cassandra, and she promised that if he wanted to become a Templar, she would take him from that and make him a Seeker."

"When did you do that?"

"A couple of days before she left to go rebuild the Seekers."

"Do you plan out everything ahead of time now?"

"I try." Aura told him as she walked over to her desk. She looked back and Cullen and watched him fawn over their little boy as the child slept. "Cullen, don't you have work to do?" She asked as he broke his gaze away from Alistair to look at her. He was torn between staying here with her and him or going and doing his work and she could see it written all over his face. "You'll be getting to have all this coming week with him while I will be out."

"I know it just... It seems like time is flying by so fast." Aura walked over to him, hugged him and he returned it.

"I know just how you feel."

****

The years would pass too swiftly for them, and in that time Aura would lose her left arm because of the Anchor, she disbanded the Inquisition, and give Cullen another child (this time it would be a daughter about two years younger then Alistair). Aura and Alistair would finally get to meet Cullen's family, and now, fourteen years later Aura stood with Cullen as Cassandra spoke with Alistair about becoming a Seeker. To say the boy was the spitting image of his father would truly be an understatement as he looked and acted exactly like Cullen and it frightened the man deeply. "Has it really been fourteen years?" Cullen asked as they watched their son leave with Cassandra to start his training.

"It has," Aura nodded, "Fourteen years with a son who is off to become a Seeker and a daughter who is off learning to wield her magic properly, while we are helping Templars break their addiction to lyrium." Aura smiled with tears in her eyes as her son and Cassandra vanished from sight. She couldn't say how proud she was of her children but she knew Cullen could sense it. "You know it's going to be a while before we see either of them again right?"

"I know and that's what's worrying me."

Aura looked to her beloved and smiled, "Don't worry too much about it, my lion, they will be fine."

Cullen looked to her for a moment and smiled, "I'm sure they will. They have both proven they have you in them."

"Not as much as they have proven to have you in them," She shook her head, "I have never known two children more stubborn in my life then what they proved to be."

"They get that from you," He laughed as she smacked his arm.

"I think it comes more from you then it does me you ass."

"Agree to disagree."

"Alright." With that, Aura and Cullen set about doing their daily things here at the Sanctuary. 


	20. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the song I was listening to that helped me with this ending: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgfbyVHPgOM  
> (I really recommend listening to it while you read this chapter if you can)

The crunching of leaves was heard as a man walked through the forest only to stop in the middle of a clearing and looked around. His golden gaze scanned the area around him and he saw the rose bush his deceased wife had loved so fondly. Reaching up with a hand, he scratched at an itch on his throat and smiled until his gaze landed on a man who looked exactly like him and he called out through the other man did not hear him. "Alistair?!" 

"He can't hear you my lion," Turning the man looked to see his wife walking up to him and studied her closely only to notice that she was whole, her left arm was not missing and she seemed to have a very healthy glow to her.

"Aura? You're...Not dead?"

Aura smiled and gave a gentle laugh. "I am but so too are you, Cullen." Aura told him as he looked back towards their son and suddenly it hit him. He had passed away sometime during the night and sighed. "Don't despair my love." Aura told him as she finished her approach and entwined her fingers with his as they both turned to their son who was now pulling a little girl into his arms who was also apparently peppering her father with neverending questions. 

"Daddy! Can you tell me how grandma and grandpa meet?!" She begged her father who was laughing wholeheartedly. 

"I think your still a bit too young for that," Alistair spoke up as Aura and Cullen looked on.

"Please! Pretty, pretty, please!" She begged as Aura laughed. 

"She reminds me of you," Cullen told Aura who continued to smile. 

"I'm sure she does but come now, it's time to go."

"Already?" Cullen asked quietly as his smile fell.

"Don't worry about them my love, they will be perfectly fine. Solas is no danger to them anymore, we made sure of that."

"But...I don't think I'm ready to leave them...at least...not yet."

"I know my love, really I do. But we've lived our lives and now it's time for them to live theirs," Aura told him softly as Cullen met her blue eyes. "Besides," Aura looked to their son and granddaughter, "Nothing lasts forever. We will see them again one day when their time comes." 

Cullen looked towards his son who was smiling at the energy of his little girl, "I guess you're right." He nodded as he felt her rest her head on his shoulder. "I think...I think I'm ready." He looked at his wife who smiled warmly up at him before they shared a kiss. "I am ready to join you at the Maker's side." He nodded as they turned and began to walk away from there.

"Tell me, daddy!" The little girl begged of her father who finally caved into her request.

"Alright, Aurora. Listen closely. It all began when your grandmother was given a mirror..." And as he began, Cullen and Aura vanished.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this is the last chapter. This would have been longer but I'm not a fan of writing down everything that happens in the Trespasser DLC, so you got this instead! Thanks for sticking around for Aura's story everyone! I really enjoyed writing her story and really enjoyed writing this ending.


End file.
